Effect of cutter geometric configuration on aerodynamic noise generation in face milling cutters

Aerodynamic noise spectrum of rotary face milling cutters consists of a broad range of high frequencies and discrete tones. This paper aims to develop a method to calculate the aerodynamic noise generation and propagation by rotary face milling cutters. The effects of milling cutter geometry on the generation of aerodynamic noise are analyzed. Based on the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method, the Ffowcs Williams–Hawkings (FW–H) equation is used to predict the sound pressure level (SPL) of aerodynamic noise in face milling cutters. The accurate calculation of time-varying flow variables along with the rotation of cutter is very important for the prediction of aerodynamic noise. In this case, the Navier–Stokes (N–S) equation is employed to evaluate the pressure and velocity fields around the milling cutters, first in a steady mode with the Multiple Reference Frames (MRF) model, and then in an unsteady mode with sliding mesh technique (SMT) by introducing the steady flow variables as its initial fields. It is found that both the overall aerodynamic noise due to the entire cutter and the aerodynamic noise only due to the cutter gullet regions are significantly affected by the number of cutter teeth/gullet regions. Moreover, six representative milling cutters with different tooth numbers and geometries of gullet regions are chosen to study the effects of gullet configuration on aerodynamic noise generation, and the characteristics of noise spectra generated by the cutters are analyzed. The aerodynamic noise generated only by the cutter gullet regions is found to be strongly dependent on the gullet design-volume and shape. The results also reveal that the gullet design advantage of Cutter C in reducing noise generation among the eight-tooth designs, and the gullet design advantage of Cutter A in reducing noise generation among the five and seven-tooth designs in this investigation.