Evaluation of tool edge wear during turning with applying the Fractal Dimension

Abstract

Conventionally, the evaluation of wear in the cutting tools have been focused mainly on the rake and flank face, but there is little research (consideration) that paid attention to the cutting edge of the tools. The reason for this is the cutting edge is having a large scale chip, a small scale chipping, and edge shape varies complicatedly due to abrasion and wear. Therefore, by extracting its features, a valid technique for evaluating this matters has not been established. That is why this research is carried out to focus on the cutting edge of the tool. In other words, it is an evaluation from the point of the cutting edge that is the line of intersection of rake face and flank face of the cutting tool. The scope involve a quantitative evaluation of its complexity due to the change of this edge line by the fractal dimension. The fractal dimension is a theory that is capable of reasonably indicates the complexity of the shape by a non-integer dimension. Therefore, as a result in the 3-dimensional cylindrical turning using this method, tendency that the fractal dimension of the nose corner part of the cutting edge approached 1.08, and the fractal dimension of the straight part approached 1.12 when the tool reached its end life are obtained.