A Fractal Analysis of Cutting Force in Simulation and Experiment
A 3D finite element model (FEM) of metal cutting was constructed based on the thermal-mechanical coupling theory. The cutting process of Sialon ceramic tools turning Inconel 718 was simulated and experimented. The effect of cutting speed, feed rate and depth of cut on the cutting force was analyzed. According to the correlation characteristics between the data points, the fractal characteristics of cutting forces in the cutting process were also investigated. The results showed that the cutting speed had a great effect on the fractal dimension of cutting force. The simulation results were in good agreement with the experimental findings. It was concluded that the minimum fractal dimension of cutting force was obtained at v=230 m/min under these experiment conditions. The fractal analysis is a simple and powerful tool for quantifying the stability of cutting process. The finding of this research is valuable for future practical implementation.