FEM-Based Study of Precision Hard Turning of Stainless Steel 316L

Abstract

This study aims to investigate chip formation and surface generation during the precision turning of stainless steel 316L samples. A Finite Element Method (FEM) was used to simulate the chipping process of the stainless steel but with only a restricted number of process parameters. A set of turning tests was carried out using tungsten carbide tools under similar cutting conditions to validate the results obtained from the FEM for the chipping process and at the same time to experimentally examine the generated surface roughness. These results helped in the analysis and understanding the chip formation process and the surface generation phenomena during the cutting process, especially on micro scale. Good agreement between experiments and FEM results was found, which confirmed that the cutting process was accurately simulated by the FEM and allowed the identification of the optimum process parameters to ensure high performance. Results obtained from the simulation revealed that, an applied feed equals to 0.75 of edge radius of new cutting tool is the optimal cutting conditions for stainless steel 316L. Moreover, the experimental results demonstrated that in contrast to conventional turning processes, a nonlinear relationship was found between the feed rate and obtainable surface roughness, with a minimum surface roughness obtained when the feed rate laid between 0.75 and 1.25 times the original cutting edge radius, for new and worn tools, respectively.

Principles and Characteristics of Different EDM Processes in Machining Tool and Die Steels

“…In addition to unique characteristics, most modern materials need special manufacturing processes to enable them to be machined with ease [1,2]. Most of these materials are usually difficult to cut by conventional manufacturing processes [3][4][5][6][7]. The unique characteristics of these hard-to-cut materials increase their applications, which further drive manufacturers to explore new machining processes with reasonable cost and high precision [8,9].…”

Influence of the Nose Radius on the Machining Forces Induced during AISI-4140 Hard Turning: A CAD-Based and 3D FEM Approach

“…Moreover, AISI-4140 is preferred for the production of many typical mechanical parts such as gears, shafts, and bearings [ 1 ]. For these reasons, a number of studies exist in the literature that investigate various aspects that occur during the machining of hardened steel [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. The methods that are usually implemented in such research usually involve experimental work, statistical, and numerical analyses.…”

Tailored Chip Breaker Development for Polycrystalline Diamond Inserts: FEM-Based Design and Validation

“…Although numerous tool manufacturers still base their tool-designs on try-and-see methods based on their previous experience [19], FEM is considered a reliable tool to assess the relative performance of several designs of engineering components, and has been extensively used for the design of cutting tools [32][33][34]. Gurbuz et al [35] pointed out the significance of FEM to evaluate different design geometries to determine a final design before manufacturing, which is substantially cheaper than trial and error methods.…”

“…Accordingly, the motivation for this research study was to carry out a systematic methodology to design customized chip breakers that enable a controlled removal of the chips from the working zone. The proposed approach utilizes finite element method (FEM), due to its high ability to accurately simulate the chipping process [32], taking into account the machining process parameters and the material to be machined.…”