Analysis of machining of laser hardened M42 tool steel using computational techniques

The mutual interactions between M42 tool steel and a multipoint cutting tool creates significant opportunities to understand how dry milling of laser hardened materials affects machining conditions especially at the microscale. The present work not only compares various computational approaches to the solution of shear plane and tool face temperatures during dry machining, but also discusses how the accompanying machining attributes react to large changes in the coefficient of friction caused by changes in the type of coated cutting tool used for machining in the form of changes in the coefficient of sliding friction. The paper accounts for the changes in material properties during machining as a function of increasing temperature and also shows how stresses and strains are affected by significant changes in the magnitude of the coefficient of friction.