Numerical Modelling of Orthogonal Cutting of Electron Beam Melted Ti6Al4V

Abstract

Finite element analysis of cutting processes of difficult-to-cut alloys is attracting more and more interest among the scientific community thanks to the change of predicting difficult to measure parameters as cutting forces, specific cutting pressures, cutting temperatures and the chip morphology. Aiming at calibrating and validating an FE numerical model, the predicted variables have to be compared with experimental results. Nowadays, Additive Manufactured Titanium alloys are being increasingly employed in the production of surgical implants and aero engine parts, but their peculiar fine acicular microstructure have to be taken into account dealing with their thermo-mechanical behavior as during machining operations. Based on the lack of literature works concerning experimental investigations on the machinability of Additive Manufactured Titanium alloys, this paper is aimed at investigating the cutting forces and temperatures arising during orthogonal cutting of an Electron Beam Melted (EBM) Ti6Al4V alloy.