Machining as a mechanical property test revisited

Smith, David L. MSIE, Purdue University, May 2015. Machining as a Mechanical Property Test Revisited. Major Professor: Srinivasan Chandrasekar. There is much need for data on mechanical behavior of metals at high strains and strain rates. This need is dictated by modeling of processes like forming and machining, wherein the material in the deformation zone is subjected to severe deformation conditions atypical of conventional material property tests such as tension and torsion. Accurate flow stress data is an essential input for robust prediction of process outputs. Similar requirements arise from applications in high speed ballistic penetration and design of materials for armor. Since the deformation zone in cutting of metals is characterized by unique and extreme combinations of strain, strain rate and temperature, an opportunity exists for using plane-strain cutting as a mechanical property test for measuring flow properties of metals. The feasibility of using plane-strain cutting to measure flow properties of metals is revisited in the light of recent data showing controllability of the deformation conditions in chip formation by systematic variation of process input parameters. A method is outlined as to how the deformation conditions can be varied by changing the process parameters. The method is applied to cutting of commercially pure copper (FCC),