FEM Simulation on Cutting Process of Two Phase Alloys.

When two phase alloys are machined with very small depth of cut that is about the same as grain size, the difference in material properties greatly affects the microscopic deformation of each phase in the shear zone. In this paper, machining processes of two phase alloys were modeled using finite element method. Ferrite and pearlite are two phases of the alloys. Then the cutting processes of two phase alloys were simulated changing the volume fraction of pearlite from 0 to 100%. The simulated results are in good agreement with experimental ones. The effect of the volume fraction of pearlite and the ratio of grain size to the depth of cut on chip forming process and cutting forces were made clear. Developed simulation system can predict not only macroscopic cutting phenomena but also microscopic deformation mechanism of two phase alloys. It is seen that strain concentration to the soft phase of ferrite plays an important role in the chip formation, the cutting force change and the affected layer of machined surface.