Cutting tool temperature field reconstruction using hybrid macro/micro scale modeling for machining of titanium alloy

In metal cutting, the ability to model its tool temperature distribution is highly desirable as it provides an effective means to monitor the tool and workpiece conditions, particularly when machining titanium alloy that has a low heat conductivity. Because of the complex cutting heat generation, the difficulty to infer the temperature distribution at the cutting interface has been well-recognized as a worldwide problem. In the context of dry lathe-turning of titanium alloy, this paper presents a method that considers both the macro-and micro-scales in the reconstruction of the temperature field at the tool insert. In micro-scale modeling, a modified constitutive material model for TC4 is incorporated in simulating the machining process, which numerically obtains the boundary conditions including contact areas and heat flux following through the tool-chip interface for the macro-scale heat-transfer model. The temperature distribution of the cutting tool can then be solved directly from the heat transfer model, which also provides a basis for experimental validation using infrared thermal imager for temperature measurements.