Approximating quadratic NURBS curves by arc splines (Q1801866)

Numerically controlled cutters can cut in both straight lines and circles. Cutting in straight lines results in polygonal curves that are slow to mill and result in ridges of leftover material that are difficult to grind by numerical control. The authors adress the approximation of shapes given by Bézier quadratic splines (i.e., spiral arcs of conics) by \(C^ 1\)-sequences of circular arcs and develop all formulas needed to approximate short spiral arcs of conics by curves composed of two circular arcs and control the degree of approximation. All computations involved belong to elementary analytic geometry.