Calculation and analysis of quasi-dynamic cutting force and specific cutting energy in micro-milling Ti6Al4V

Micro-milling force and specific cutting energy play an important role in revealing the micro-milling mechanism. However, it is quite difficult to compare the micro-milling force values from different experiments due to the lack of a representative cutting force parameter to comprehensively evaluate the micro-milling force. Especially, there is no unified formula to accurately calculate the specific cutting energy in micro-milling due to variable chip cross-sectional area and periodically varying micro-milling force. In this work, the micro-milling force was systematically analyzed with fast Fourier transform spectrum analysis, curve shape, and representative parameter evaluation. The quasi-dynamic cutting force, which is represented by the P-V value of cutting force, was adopted to comprehensively evaluate the micro-milling force. The specific cutting energy was calculated with the ratio of quasi-dynamic cutting force and the average undeformed chip thickness. Moreover, the variable regularity of quasi-dynamic cutting force and specific cutting energy on cutting parameters were obtained with the micro-milling experiment. The results show that the quasi-dynamic cutting force first decreases and then increases with the increase of feed per tooth due to the chip accumulation effect. With the increase of spindle speed and depth of cut, the quasi-dynamic cutting force decreases and increases, respectively. The minimum undeformed chip thickness is between 0.3 and 0.5 mu m, which is around 0.19 to 0.32 of tool edge radius in micro-milling Ti6Al4V. With the increase of spindle speed and depth of cut, the specific cutting energy shows a decreasing trend and changes a little, respectively. With the decrease of the feed per tooth, the specific cutting force shows a nonlinear increase. Our findings are of great significance for further scientific understanding the micro-milling mechanism from the perspective of cutting force and specific cutting energy.

Automated summary

This study systematically investigates the characteristics and variations of micro-milling force and specific cutting energy through the analysis of fast Fourier transform spectra, curve shapes, and representative parameters. The quasi-dynamic cutting force is adopted to evaluate the micro-milling force, while the specific cutting energy is calculated using the ratio of quasi-dynamic cutting force and average undeformed chip thickness. The results provide important insights into the micro-milling mechanism from the perspective of cutting force and specific cutting energy.