Comparative study of deep drilling in the Ti-6Al-4 V ELI titanium alloy using standard and high-feed rate

Titanium and its alloy are materials that attract great interest due to mechanical properties, such as density, mechanical strength, and others. Titanium has been demonstrated as an excellent material to be used as a biomaterial. The field of biomaterials, mainly in prostheses, has continuously increased due to the high demand for people with injuries due to accidents or ageing. However, manufacturing these materials requires great care due to the difficulties on the surface to produce good osseointegration. Among the several machining processes, drilling is the most popular process in the manufacturing sector. Nevertheless, the drilling has serious challenges, mainly for the titanium and its alloys. The present work developed experimental and numerical tests of deep drilling in the Ti-6Al-4 V ELI titanium alloy, analysing the cutting forces, geometric tolerance, and temperature. The finite element method using a 3D numeric model was applied to predict the outcomes, and experimental tests were carried out with solid carbide helical drills to confirm the results. The results indicated that using high feed could be a great alternative in drilling Ti-6Al-4 V ELI. This technique can improve productivity and attend to the demands in the biomaterials area within certain tolerance classes.

Automated summary

Titanium and its alloy are highly attractive materials with excellent mechanical properties for biomaterial applications. The present study focused on the deep drilling of the Ti-6Al-4 V ELI titanium alloy and analyzed the cutting forces, geometric tolerance, and temperature using experimental and numerical tests. The results showed that high feed can be a viable option for drilling Ti-6Al-4 V ELI, improving productivity and meeting the demands in the biomaterials field.