An investigation of the transition from a continuous to a discontinuous chip in orthogonal machining

Abstract

Various depths of cut were taken with all other cutting conditions constant and within this range continuous and discontinuous chips were obtained. Ciné pictures of the deformation were taken through a microscope and an analysis made using strain-hardening slip-line theory. The hydrostatic stress-distribution in the plastic zone was shown to vary from compression at the outer free surface to tension near the cutting edge, and the magnitude of the tensile stress was shown to be important in determining whether or not the chip became discontinuous.