Finite element analysis method and simulation system for flexible skin NC trimming over a reconfigurable fixture

Aircraft skin NC trimming technology based on reconfigurable fixture is a part of the new generation of skin digital manufacturing process. Ensuring the rigidity of process system is a troublesome problem of its practical applications. In order to verify the stability of the skin trimming process, the skin milling process simulation via element birth and death method was introduced and a trimming numerical simulation analysis system based on ABAQUS was developed. Combined with the milling force theoretical model and milling tests, a 2024-T3 aluminum skin milling force prediction model was established to obtain accurate milling force for simulation analysis. Lastly, several simulation examples were carried out, and the results indicate that the system can predict the stress distribution and vibration during flexible skin trimming process. The developed system provides a reliable technical guarantee for the practical applications of this new technology.