A Study of Exit-Burr Formation Mechanism Using the Finite Element Method in Micro-Cutting of Aluminum Alloy

A burr formation process in micro-cutting of Al7075-T7451 was analyzed. Three stages of burr formation including steady-state cutting stage, pivoting stage, and burr formation stage are investigated. And the effects of uncut chip thickness, cutting speed and tool edge radius on the burr formation are studied. The simulation results show that the generation of negative shear zone is one of the prime reasons for burr formation. Uncut chip thickness has a significant effect on burr height; however, the cutting speed effect is minor. Unlike in conventional cutting, in micro-cutting the effect of tool edge radius on the burr geometry can no longer be neglected.