Modeling of the fracture energy on the finite element simulation in Ti6Al4V alloy machining.

One of the main problems that exists when working with Finite Element Methods (FEM) applied to machining processes is the lack of adequate experimental data for simulating the material properties. Moreover, for damage models based on fracture energy, the correct selection of the energy value is critical for the chip formation process. It is usually difficult to obtain the fracture energy values and requires complex tests. In this work, an analysis of the influence of this fracture energy on the cutting force and the chip generation process has been carried out for different sets of cutting parameters. The aim is to present an empirical relationship, that allows selecting the fracture energy based on the cutting force and cutting parameters. The work is based on a FEM model of an orthogonal turning process for Ti6Al4V alloy using Abaqus/Explicit and the fracture energy empirical relation. This work shows that it is necessary to adjust the fracture energy for each combination of cutting conditions, to be able to fit the experimental results. The cutting force and the chip geometry are analyzed, showing how the developed model adapts to the experimental results. It shows that as the cutting speed and the feed increase, the fracture energy value that best adapts to the model decreases. The evolution shows a more pronounced decrease related to the feed increment and high cutting speed.

Experimental Parametric Relationships for Chip Geometry in Dry Machining of the Ti6Al4V Alloy.

The Ti6Al4V alloy is included in the group of difficult-to-cut materials. Segmented chips are generated for a wide range of cutting parameters. This kind of chip geometry leads to the periodic variation of machining forces, tool vibrations, and work part-tolerance inaccuracies. Therefore, the analysis of chip morphology and geometry becomes a fundamental machinability criterion. However, few studies propose experimental parametric relationships that allow predicting chip-geometry evolution as a function of cutting parameters. In this work, an experimental analysis of the influence of cutting speed and feed rate on various chip-geometric parameters in dry machining of the Ti6Al4V alloy was carried out. In addition, the chip morphology and chip microstructure were studied. A clear dependence of certain chip-geometric parameters on the cutting parameters studied was found. From the experimental data, several parametric relationships were developed. These relationships were able to predict the evolution of different geometric parameters as a function of cutting speed and feed, within the tested range of values. The differences between the proposed models and the experimental data were also highlighted. These parametric equations allowed quantifying the value of parameters in which the trend was clear.