Predictive model of chip segmentation in machining of high-strength metallic alloys

Chip segmentation is the dominant chip formation mechanism during the machining of high-strength metallic alloys which directly affects the machining productivity and the final product’s quality. This paper investigates the mechanism of shear band formation and its contact with the cutting tool for different titanium and nickel alloys. First, we reveal that the shear bands are in direct contact with the cutting tool due to rolling on its rake face, although the contact mechanism is different for titanium and nickel alloys. In addition, the effect of the stored energy at the tool-chip interface, which is believed to be the reason for chip segmentation in some studies, is investigated theoretically. We found that the stored energy at the tool-chip interface affects the strain rate temporarily and has minimal impact on the chip segmentation. Moreover, we provide a theoretical prediction of the workpiece material’s displacement, its distribution, and degree of segmentation for the first time without any post-mortem analysis of the produced shear bands. To this end, the rolling process must be taken into account for accurate prediction. We show that the segmented chip’s displacement can be accurately predicted without any fracture criterion since the shear band itself is a type of ductile material failure. It is shown that the shear bands can accommodate large strains (for example, around 45 when cutting Ti-6Al-4V at 60 m min−1 cutting speed) without fracture presumption.