Dynamic Simulation of the Micro-Milling Process Including Minimum Chip Thickness and Size Effect

Abstract

Micro-milling with a cutting tool is a manufacturing technique that allows production of parts ranging from several millimeters to several micrometers. The technique is based on a downscaling of macroscopic milling process. Micro-milling is one of the most effective process to produce complex three-dimensional micro-parts, including sharp edges and with a good surface quality. Reducing the dimensions of the cutter and the cutting conditions requires taking into account physical phenomena that can be neglected in macro-milling. These phenomena include a size effect (nonlinear rising of specific cutting force when chip thickness decreases), the minimum chip thickness (under a given dimension, no chip can be machined) and the heterogeneity of the material (the size of the grains composing the material is significant as compared to the dimension of the chip). The aim of this paper is to introduce some phenomena, appearing in micromilling, in the mechanistic dynamic simulation software ‘dystamill’ developed for macro-milling. The software is able to simulate the cutting forces, the dynamic behavior of the tool and the workpiece and the kinematic surface finish in 2D1/2 milling operation (slotting, face milling, shoulder milling,…). It can be used to predict chatter-free cutting condition for example. The mechanistic model of the cutting forces is deduced from the local FEM simulation of orthogonal cutting. This FEM model uses the commercial software ABAQUS and is able to simulate chip formation and cutting forces in an orthogonal cutting test. This model is able to reproduce physical phenomena in macro cutting conditions (including segmented chip) as well as specific phenomena in micro cutting conditions (minimum chip thickness and size effect). The minimum chip thickness is also taken into account by the global model. The results of simulation for the machining of titanium alloy Ti6Al4V under macro and micro milling condition with the mechanistic model are presented discussed. This approach connects together local machining simulation and global models.