Characterisation of chip formation during orthogonal cutting of titanium alloy Ti–6Al–4V

Abstract The mechanics of segmented chip formation during orthogonal cutting of titanium alloy Ti–6Al–4V are studied in detail with the aid of high speed imaging of the chip formation zone. Cutting speeds from 4 to 120 m/min and feeds of 0.05, 0.075 and 0.1 mm were used. Segmented chip formation was observed throughout and detailed measurements of recorded video sequences examined the deformation within chip segments and within the shear bands separating the chip segments. The chip segment geometry was characterised in terms of the cutting parameters given above and the shear strains both within the chip segments and the shear bands were analysed. A thermal model of the process was developed and average temperatures for the primary shear zone and for the tool rake face were calculated.