A Method to Determine the Minimum Chip Thickness during Longitudinal Turning

Micromachining, which is used for various industrial purposes, requires the depth of cut and feed to be expressed in micrometers. Appropriate stock allowance and cutting conditions need to be selected to ensure that excess material is removed in the form of chips. To calculate the allowance, it is essential to take into account the tool nose radius, as this cutting parameter affects the minimum chip thickness. Theoretical and numerical studies on the topic predominate over experimental ones. This article describes a method and a test setup for determining the minimum chip thickness during turning. The workpiece was ground before turning to prevent radial runout and easily identify the transition zone. Contact and non-contact profilometers were used to measure surface profiles. The main aim of this study was to determine the tool–workpiece interaction stages and the cutting conditions under which material was removed as chips. Additionally, it was necessary to analyze how the feed, cutting speed, and edge radius influenced the minimum chip thickness. This parameter was found to be dependent on the depth of cut and feed. Elastic and plastic deformation and ploughing were observed when the feed rate was lower than the cutting edge radius.

An experimental analysis of minimum chip thickness in micro-milling of two different titanium alloys

Micro-milling is a micro-mechanical cutting method used to obtain complex and three-dimensional micro geometries. Micro-cutting tools are used in the manufacturing of micro-components and the type of workpiece is also important for good surface quality and minimum burr. In this study, micro machinability of Ti6Al4V alloy which is used most frequently in micro-component production is compared with Ti5553 alloy. Micro-milling of Ti5553 alloy and comparison of the minimum chip thickness with Ti6Al4V were performed for the first time in this study. Using different cutting parameters, the variation of surface roughness, burr width, and cutting forces were investigated. The cutting tests were carried out on a specially designed and high-precision micro-milling test system using a TiCN-coated two-flute end mill of 0.6 mm diameter. According to the results, minimum chip thickness is approximately 0.3 times the edge radius of the cutting tool and does not vary with the alloy type. At feed rates smaller than the minimum chip thickness, both the cutting forces increase and the surface quality decreases. For both alloys, reduced feed rate and increased depth of cut lead to increased burr width. The burr widths in Ti6Al4V alloy are higher. At the end of the study, the limits of the cutting parameters where plowing occurred for the both alloys are clearly determined. In addition, the limits of the cutting parameter causing plowing have been confirmed by cutting forces, surface roughness, and burr formation.

Cutting-based single atomic layer removal mechanism of monocrystalline copper: edge radius effect

The ultimate objective of mechanical cutting is to down minimum chip thickness to single atomic layer. In this study, the cutting-based single atomic layer removal mechanism on monocrystalline copper is investigated by a series of molecular dynamics analysis. The research findings report that when cutting depth decreases to atomic scale, minimum chip thickness could be down to single atomic layer by mechanical cutting using rounded edge tool. The material removal behaviour during cutting-based single atomic layer removal exhibits four characteristics, including chip formation by shearing-stress driven dislocation motion, elastic deformation on the processed surface, atomic sizing effect, and cutting-edge radius effect. Based on this understanding, a new cutting model is proposed to study the material removal behaviour in cutting-based single atomic layer removal process, significantly different from those for nanocutting and conventional cutting. The outcomes provide theoretical support for the research and development of the atomic and close-to-atomic scale manufacturing technology.

Simulation of Cutting Edge Wear Model Based on Chip Production Rate in Micro-Endmilling

In this paper, simulation of cutting edge wear rate model based on the chip production rate in micro-endmilling is conducted in order to understand the state of the interaction between the tool and the workpiece. In micro-endmilling, the chip production rate changes due to the cutting edge wear and it can be explained by the minimum chip thickness effect. If the cutting edge radius increases due to the tool wear until the minimum chip thickness becomes larger than the uncut chip thickness, the chips will not be generated with the cutting tooth sliding on the workpiece. If the new tool with the sharp cutting edge is used, the chips will be generated without the cutting tooth sliding on the workpiece. From this point of view, the cutting edge wear could be observed by measuring the chip production rate in micro-endmilling. Therefore, the cutting edge wear rate model is proposed and the simulation of the cutting edge wear rate estimation is conducted. Our proposed cutting edge wear rate model could be used in improving the tool life and the surface quality by estimating the cutting edge wear rate.