Simulation of thin wall integral structure distortion during machining

In order to reduce the weight of airplane and increase its mechanical behavior, more and more large integrated parts are applied in modern aviation industry. When machining thin-walled aero-plane parts, more than 90% of the materials could be removed, resulting in severe distortion of the parts due to the weakened rigidity and the release of residual stress. The reason which induced the distortion was analyzed and the method which classified the aluminum alloy blank as finish machining blank and rough machining blank were proposed to reduce the distortion. The finite element analysis model was established and the distortion of the thin wall integral structure was simulated. The result of simulation indicates that the machining distortion and the value of residual stress on finish machining blank was reduced effectively as the thickness of rough machining blank increased.