Simulation and analysis of serrated chip formation in cutting process of hardened steel considering ploughing-effect

A realistic finite element model considering the ploughing effect of cutting edge fillet was developed in high speed machining. Taking the hardened tool steel AISI D2 as the object of research, the cutting force and chip morphology were reasonably analyzed and compared with the actual results of cutting experiments, which verified the correctness of the model. Then, based on the model, the formation process of single serrated tooth was analyzed, while the effects of cutting heat and temperature field, material hardness and cutting speed on chip formation were explored. The research results indicate that: (1) The ploughing-effect has a great impact on the feed force, and for hardened tool steel AISI D2, the stagnation angle of 30 degrees is more appropriate. (2) Also, stress concentration appears and shear slipping occurs along the shear plane in the process of serrated chip formation. The strain rate on the shear slipping surface is much greater than other places and the temperature gradient perpendicular to the shear plane is relatively higher. (3) The cutting force becomes larger with increasing the hardness value of workpieces, which causes the chip to more likely to produce serrated chips. (4) The fluctuation of cutting force is more significant as the cutting speed increases, which puts forward higher requirements for the tool and machine tool.