A mesoplasticitiy analysis of cutting friction in ultra-precision machining

Abstract The control and minimization of cutting force variation is of prime importance in obtaining a consistent surface finish and form accuracy of a machined workpiece in ultra-precision machining. However, most continuum theories do not take into account the effect of crystallographic anisotropy that causes variation in the shear plane at the grain level and hence of the cutting force. The periodicity of the fluctuation of cutting forces is found to be dependent on the frictional condition during cutting. However, investigation of the in situ relationships among the cutting friction, the crystallographic orientation of workpiece and the periodic fluctuation of cutting forces has received relatively little attention. In this paper, a mesoplasticity approach is proposed to access the crystallographic and frictional effect on the fluctuation of micro-cutting forces in diamond turning of crystalline materials. The predictions were able to explain the experimental results based on the power spectrum analysis of the cutting force variation. The research findings throw light on the possibility of an indirect in situ assessment of the frictional condition in ultra-precision machining.