The response of the high strength Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al beta titanium alloy to laser assisted cutting

Metal cutting is a process that uses tools to create new surfaces by imparting intense shear stresses and high strain rates on the work material. Consequently, the mechanical properties of the work material directly influence its machinability, and high strength materials such as titanium are notoriously difficult to cut. Laser assisted machining (LAM) is a promising solution to reduce the cutting pressures when machining difficult-to-cut materials. The method involves using a laser beam to locally heat and reduce the flow stress of the material ahead of an advancing cutting tool, making the metal shearing process easier. To date there is limited, if any, published literature on using the technology to improve the machinability of metastable β-titanium alloys. It remains unclear whether these materials will respond to laser assisted machining since many are specifically designed to exhibit high temperature strength. This paper compares the conventional and laser assisted machining method for the high strength Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al β-titanium alloy over a wide range of cutting parameters. The effect of the laser beam on the cutting force, cutting temperature and chip formation is discussed. The effectiveness of the LAM process in reducing the cutting pressure of Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al alloy is also compared against other alloys including commercial-purity titanium and Ti-6Al-4V.

[1]  M. Dargusch,et al.  Thermally enhanced machining of hard-to-machine materials: a review , 2010 .

[2]  R. M'Saoubi,et al.  Application of the EBSD technique for the characterisation of deformation zones in metal cutting , 2005 .

[3]  J. Paulo Davim,et al.  Relationship between cutting force and PCD cutting tool wear in machining silicon carbide reinforced aluminium , 2000 .

[4]  D. Biermann,et al.  Machining of β-titanium-alloy Ti–10V–2Fe–3Al under cryogenic conditions: Cooling with carbon dioxide snow , 2011 .

[5]  Y. Shin,et al.  Machinability improvement of titanium alloy (Ti–6Al–4V) via LAM and hybrid machining , 2010 .

[6]  M. Dargusch,et al.  The Effect of a Laser Beam on Chip Formation during Machining of Ti6Al4V Alloy , 2010 .

[7]  Z. M. Wang,et al.  Titanium alloys and their machinability—a review , 1997 .

[8]  S. Sun,et al.  Effect of laser beam on machining of titanium alloys , 2008 .

[9]  M. Dargusch,et al.  Characteristics of cutting forces and chip formation in machining of titanium alloys , 2009 .

[10]  R. R. Boyer,et al.  The use of β titanium alloys in the aerospace industry , 2005 .

[11]  Paul S. Follansbee,et al.  An analysis of the low temperature, low and high strain-rate deformation of Ti−6Al−4V , 1989 .

[12]  James G. Harris,et al.  Parametric Investigation of Laser‐Assisted Machining of Commercially Pure Titanium , 2008 .

[13]  Matthew A. Davies,et al.  On Chip Morphology, Tool Wear and Cutting Mechanics in Finish Hard Turning , 1996 .

[14]  P. Arrazola,et al.  Machinability of titanium alloys (Ti6Al4V and Ti555.3) , 2009 .

[15]  A. Moisan,et al.  Hard Turning: Chip Formation Mechanisms and Metallurgical Aspects , 1999, Manufacturing Science and Engineering.

[16]  Rodney R. Boyer,et al.  Processing properties relationships of Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al , 1987 .

[17]  Wuyi Chen,et al.  Cutting forces and surface finish when machining medium hardness steel using CBN tools , 2000 .

[18]  K. T. Ramesh,et al.  The high-strain-rate response of alpha-titanium: experiments, deformation mechanisms and modeling , 1998 .

[19]  R. Boyer.  An overview on the use of titanium in the aerospace industry , 1996 .

[20]  Matthew S. Dargusch,et al.  Understanding the tool wear mechanism during thermally assisted machining Ti-6Al-4V , 2012 .

[21]  R. Shivpuri,et al.  Prediction of chip morphology and segmentation during the machining of titanium alloys , 2004 .

[22]  Tuğrul Özel,et al.  Process simulation using finite element method — prediction of cutting forces, tool stresses and temperatures in high-speed flat end milling , 2000 .

[23]  George Z. Voyiadjis,et al.  Microstructural based models for bcc and fcc metals with temperature and strain rate dependency , 2005 .

[24]  Martin Bäker,et al.  Determination of Johnson–Cook parameters from machining simulations , 2012 .

[25]  S. Nemat-Nasser,et al.  Direct measurement of isothermal flow stress of metals at elevated temperatures and high strain rates with application to Ta and TaW alloys , 1997 .