Finite Element Modeling of Chip Formation in the Domain of Negative Rake Angle Cutting

A thermo-elastic-plastic finite element modeling of orthogonal cutting with a large negative rake angle has been developed to understand the mechanism and thermal aspects of grinding. A stagnant chip material ahead of the tool tip, which is always observed with large negative rake angles, is assumed to act like a stable built-up edge. Serrated chips, one of typical shapes of chips observed in single grain grinding experiment, form when analyzing the machining of 0.93%C carbon steel SK-5 with a rake angle of minus forty five or minus sixty degrees. There appear high and low temperature zones alternately according to severe and mild shear in the primary shear zone respectively. The shapes of chips depend strongly on the cutting speed and undeformed chip thickness; as the cutting speed or the undeformed chip thickness decreases, chip shape changes from a serrated type to a bulging one to a wavy or flow type. Therefore, there exists the critical cutting speed over which a chip can form and flow along a rake face for a given large negative rake angle and undeformed chip thickness.