Dominique Coupard

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF TITANIUM ALLOY DRY MACHINING WITH A STRAIN SOFTENING CONSTITUTIVE LAW

In this study, the commercial finite element software FORGE2005®, able to solve complex thermo-mechanical problems is used to model titanium alloy dry machining. One of the main machining characteristics of titanium alloys is to produce a special chip morphology named “saw-tooth chip” or serrated chip for a wide range of cutting speeds and feeds. The mechanism of saw-tooth chip formation is still not completely understood. Among the two theories about its formation, this study assumes that chip segmentation is only induced by adiabatic shear band formation and thus no material failure occurs in the primary shear zone. Based on the assumption of material strain softening, a new material law was developed. The aim of this study is to analyze the newly developed models capacity to correctly simulate the machining process. The model validation is based on the comparison of experimental and simulated results, such as chip formation, global chip morphology, cutting forces and geometrical chip characteristics. A good correlation was found between the experimental and numerical results, especially for cutting speeds generating low tool wear.

Strain Field Measurement in Orthogonal Machining of a Titanium Alloy

Improving the cutting processes by optimizing operating parameters necessarily involves understanding the thermo-mechanical mechanisms generated during chip formation. For this, numerical simulations are used to obtain the strain, stress and thermal fields near the tool tip. Nowadays, the validation of numerical simulation models of cutting is based on macroscopic results such as chip geometry and cutting forces generated by the machining process. However, it is not appropriate to validate local fields by macroscopic results. So, it is important to validate numerical cutting simulations on the bases of measured local strain fields. This article aims to study the feasibility of strain field measurement in orthogonal machining of the titanium alloy Ti64. A high-speed camera was used to provide data for segmented chip formation analysis. A microscope was related to the camera to observe an area of about 0.7x0.7mm² around the tool tip. An optimum adjustment of camera settings, lighting, workpiece surface preparation and cutting conditions allowed to obtain an acceptable image quality for analyzing with Correli [1] software. At low cutting speed, Correli qualitatively identify the position of the primary shear band and its evolution over the time.

Chip/Tool Interaction during Dry Machining of the TA6V Alloy

During chip formation, material is subjected to high deformations and high strain rates which generate high pressures and temperatures. Cutting fluids have an important role but produce many constraints: cleaning of parts, environment quality degradation, cost increase, diseases as identified by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work. Dry machining is one of the future challenges although its implementation remains delicate, in particular for TiAl6V alloy. This paper aims at correlating the contact conditions at the tool/chip interface with the tool wear to understand the wear mechanisms of carbide tools in dry machining. Numerical simulations, experimentally validated, allow pointing out that the temperature distribution at the tool/chip interface depends on chip type (continuous, serrated). For continuous chips, the temperature is fairly uniform and stationary throughout the interface. For segmented chips, a cold zone between two temperature peaks is observed and moves along the tool rake face during the formation of a chip segment. The evolution of the normal stress at the interface is similar for both types of chips at the beginning of the localization phenomenon. These pressure and temperature fields allow the titanium to diffuse into the tungsten carbide and form the mixed carbide (Ti, W)C, which is very sensitive to oxidation above 500°C. This could explain the attrition of the tool, due to the brittleness of the oxycarbides. Contact conditions and tool wear are finally correlated.

Modeling and Adhesive Tool Wear in Dry Drilling of Aluminum Alloys

One of the challenges in aeronautic drilling operations is the elimination of cutting fluids while maintaining the quality of drilled parts. This paper therefore aims to increase the tool life and process quality by working on relationships existing between drilling parameters (cutting speed and feed rate), coatings and tool geometry. In dry drilling, the phenomenon of Built‐Up Layer is the predominant damage mechanism. A model fitting the axial force with the cutting parameters and the damage has been developed. The burr thickness and its dispersion decrease with the feed rate. The current diamond coatings which exhibit a strong adhesion to the carbide substrate can limit this adhesive layer phenomenon. A relatively smooth nano‐structured coating strongly limits the development of this layer.

Pearson’s Functions to Describe FSW Weld Geometry

Friction stir welding (FSW) is a relatively new joining technique particularly for aluminium alloys that are difficult to fusion weld. In this study, the geometry of the weld has been investigated and modelled using Pearson’s functions. It has been demonstrated that the Pearson’s parameters (mean, standard deviation, skewness, kurtosis and geometric constant) can be used to characterize the weld geometry and the tensile strength of the weld assembly. Pearsons parameters and process parameters are strongly correlated allowing to define a control process procedure for FSW assemblies which make radiographic or ultrasonic controls unnecessary. Finally, an optimisation using a Generalized Gradient Method allows to determine the geometry of the weld which maximises the assembly tensile strength.