Chip Flow and Scaling Laws in High Speed Metal Cutting

Abstract

Chip formation in machining plays an important role in the cutting process optimisation. Chip morphology often reflects the choice of cutting conditions, the tool wear and by consequences the integrity of the machined surface and tool life. In this study, photographs of the chip morphology during high speed machining of a middle hard steel (C20 similar to AISI 1020) are taken by using a ballistic setup. From these recordings, the evolution of the chip morphology is presented and analysed in terms of cutting conditions. A simplified modeling is then proposed by considering the workpiece material as elastic perfectly plastic. The existence of a scaling law governing the chip morphology in high speed machining is demonstrated. The cutting velocity is shown to have a weak effect at high speed machining as opposed to the well known strong influence of the velocity in the range of low cutting speeds.