Towards real-time prediction of residual stresses induced by peripheral milling of Ti–6Al–4V

Abstract

Residual stresses introduced into components in the course of manufacturing processes may considerably impair fatigue life and therefore the operational reliability and safety of the final product. Particularly in critical applications in the aerospace industry, where peripheral milling is a common surface finishing operation for components made from the titanium alloy Ti–6Al–4V, it is desirable to control the introduced residual stresses in the process while accounting for disturbance quantities such as tool wear. To this end, we propose a numerical scheme for the prediction of milling induced residual stresses that provides sufficient efficiency for real-time application. The scheme is based on a two-dimensional model where semi-analytical approaches from contact theory and thermoelasticity are combined with an approximate elasto-plastic solution technique based on an algorithm established in rolling contact mechanics to achieve the required performance in the plastic domain. Following the derivation of the numerical solution strategy, we turn our attention to the peripheral milling process under consideration and present predictions for the induced residual stresses along with a discussion of the general modeling approach, the major influencing factors on the predictions as well as efficiency aspects.