Modeling the effects of microstructure in metal cutting

Continuous chips from experimental orthogonal cutting of materials with a heterogeneous microstructure such as 1045 steel are better represented by finite element (FE) models that incorporate material microstructure into the model. A macroscale FE model that incorporated the material microstructure into the model was developed. This approach was found to be more accurate in reflecting the chip formation process than conventional homogeneous models. The heterogenous model showed a rippled chip free surface and defects on the machined surface. The plastic strain was much larger from the heterogeneous FE model versus the homogeneous model due to strain localization during chip formation.