Analysis of entry phase in intermittent machining

Abstract: Cutting forces and vibrations are essential parameters in the assessment of a cutting process. As the energy consumption in the machining process is directly affected by the magnitude of the cutting forces it is of vital importance to design cutting edges and select process conditions that will maintain high tool performance through reduced energy consumption. The vibrations are often the cause of poor results in terms of accuracy, low reliability due to sudden failures and bad environmental conditions caused by noise. The goal of this work is to find out how the cutting edge and cutting conditions affect the entry conditions of the machining operation. This is done utilizing experimental methods and appropriate theoretical approaches applied to the cutting forces and vibrations. The research was carried out through three main studies beginning with a force build-up analysis of the cutting edge entry into the workpiece in intermittent turning. This was followed by a second study, concentrated on modelling of the entry phase which has been explored through experiments and theory developed in the first study. The third part was focused on the influence of the radial depth of cut upon the entry of cutting edge into the workpiece in a face milling application. The methodology for the identification of unfavourable cutting conditions is also explained herein. Important insights into the force build-up process help addressing the correlation between the cutting geometries and the rise time of the cutting force. The influence of the nose radius for a given cutting tool and workpiece configuration during the initial entry is revealed. The critical angle i.e. the position of the face milling cutter that results in unfavourable entry conditions has been explained emphasizing the importance of the selection of cutting conditions. Finally, the theoretical methods utilized for the evaluation of the role of cutting edge geometry within entry phase dynamics has been explored. This has revealed the trends that are of interest for selection of cutting conditions and cutting edge design.