Generating cutter paths for marine propellers without interference and gouging

We generate cutter paths free of interference and gouging for manufacturing model propellers using a five-axis numerical control (NC) machine. Our approach is faster than using a general-purpose computer-aided design (CAD)/computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) system. A roughing cut is made using only three axes for efficiency, and the finishing cut is made using all five axes to avoid collisions. Elements of the cutter path that might produce gouging are eliminated and the pose of the cutter is adjusted to eliminate interference. A number of models, including surface-piercing propellers, have been manufactured.