Experimental cutting model of metal matrix composites (MMCs)

Metal matrix composites (MMCs) are important engineering materials with good performances for industry. This article presents an experimental physical model on the cutting process for MMCs (aluminium alloy reinforced with 20% of particulate silicon carbide-SiC). The turning experiments were carried out on MMCs, extruded workpieces using polycrystalline diamond (PCD) cutting tools. The objective of this study is to evaluate the chip compression ratio (R-c), chip deformation (epsilon), friction angle (rho), shear angle (phi), normal stress (sigma) and shear stress (r), under prefixed cutting parameters (cutting velocity and feed rate). The experimental physical model was compared with the Merchant equation. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.