On cutting tools for high performance cutting (HPC) processes or for hard-to-cut materials, there is an increased importance in so-called superlattice coatings with hundreds of layers each of which is only a few nanometers in thickness. Homogeneity or average material properties based on the properties of single layers are not valid in these dimensions any more. Consequently, continuum mechanical material models cannot be used for modeling the behavior of nanolayers. Therefore, the interaction potentials between the single atoms should be considered. A new, so-called atomic finite element method (AFEM) is presented. In the AFEM the interatomic bonds are modeled as nonlinear spring elements. The AFEM is the connection between the molecular dynamics (MD) method and the crystal plasticity FEM (CPFEM). The MD simulates the atomic deposition process. The CPFEM considers the behavior of anisotropic crystals using the continuum mechanical FEM. On one side, the atomic structure data simulated by MD defines the interface to AFEM. On the other side, the boundary conditions (displacements and tractions) of the AFEM model are interpolated from the CPFEM simulations. In AFEM, the lattice deformation, the crack and dislocation behavior can be simulated and calculated at the nanometer scale.
