Abstract: African blackwood is difficult-to-cut wood material.Milling cutters wear quickly in the wood cutting.Based on response surface method,the effect of process parameters on milling force in African black wood cutting was investigated and a second order nonlinear regression model was established to predict the milling force.Experiments show that the main shaft speed has the greatest influence on the cutting force and the regression model’s prediction is consistent with the practical value of the milling force.The model is helpful to optimize milling parameters.

Key words: African blackwood, milling force, response surface method, regression model