Papers by Author: Enrico Filippi

Abstract: The final aim of finite elements modelling is to help in the choice of the cutting parameters and in the comprehension of the involved phenomena. Representing correctly the behaviour of the machined material is hard due to the extreme conditions encountered, although this is a key parameter to develop a realistic model. Four laws are used in this paper to represent the Ti6Al4V. They are all based on the Johnson-Cook law. This study shows that the influence of the behaviour law is high on the chip morphology and on the forces and that the strain softening phenomenon should be taken into account. For the cutting conditions adopted, it is however necessary to add damage properties in the chip to obtain a morphology and a cutting force evolution close to the experimental reference.

Abstract: Virtual manufacturing is a field of research which numerically simulate all the manufacturing processes seen by a mechanical part during its production (for example casting, forging, machining, heat treatment,…). Its use is rising on various industries to reduce production costs and improve quality of manufactured parts. One of the most challenging component of the whole simulation chain is the simulation of machining operations due to some of its specificities (need of material law at high strain, strain rates and temperature, heterogeneities of machined material, influence of residual stresses,…).In order to circumvent these difficulties, macroscopic models of machining process have been developed in order to compute more global information (cutting forces, stability of the process, tolerance or roughness for example). For this approach, the cutting forces computation is done by using simple analytical law based on mechanistic approach. The parameters of the models have no clear physical meaning (or at least cannot be linked to intrinsic properties of the material to be machined) and are therefore considered constants for a given set of simulations.The aim of this paper is to take into account the uncertainty on the variability of the cutting force signal during machining operation used as input for mechanistic model identification. The variability of the response during a test on fixed conditions (cutting tool, machined material and cutting parameters) is taken into account to develop a model where parameters of the model can evolve during a given operation.The proposed model is then used as an input of a milling operation simulation in order to study its influence on machining stability as compared to a classical approach.

Abstract: Airspace industry components frequently need high added value part including some featuredifficult to manufacture. One of the best example is the thin walls of parts (airplanes frames orthe turbine blades) that have a very low stiffness. The finishing operations for high height to thicknessratio parts lead to chatter vibrations, unacceptable dimensional errors or poor surface finish. The optimalmachining strategy determination is often based on trial and error and may not be cost effective(acceptable conditions can be far from the optimum). Simulation of the milling process is a powerfulmean to accelerate the search for better cutting parameters. Cutting forces, vibrations, geometricerrors or roughness can be predicted before the production of the first parts. The classical mechanisticapproach is even though limited while machining flexible parts because the dynamic response ofthe workpiece changes with the position of the cutter. The objective of this paper is to demonstratethe adaptation of numerical simulation of milling operation for the machining of thin-walled plates.Three complementary approaches are developed: location-dependent stability lobes, quasi static approachand full dynamic simulation. Location dependent stability lobes extend the classical theoryto take into account the variation of dynamic response along the workpiece. Quasi static approach isintended to deal with form error during chatter-free machining operations. Full dynamic simulation isa more complex approach intended to simulate the behavior of the complete tool/machine/workpiecesystem. The numerical approach is compared to experimental tests performed on thin plate of titaniumalloys.

Abstract: Micro-milling with a cutting tool is a manufacturing technique that allows production of parts ranging from several millimeters to several micrometers. The technique is based on a downscaling of macroscopic milling process. Micro-milling is one of the most effective process to produce complex three-dimensional micro-parts, including sharp edges and with a good surface quality. Reducing the dimensions of the cutter and the cutting conditions requires taking into account physical phenomena that can be neglected in macro-milling. These phenomena include a size effect (nonlinear rising of specific cutting force when chip thickness decreases), the minimum chip thickness (under a given dimension, no chip can be machined) and the heterogeneity of the material (the size of the grains composing the material is significant as compared to the dimension of the chip). The aim of this paper is to introduce some phenomena, appearing in micromilling, in the mechanistic dynamic simulation software ‘dystamill’ developed for macro-milling. The software is able to simulate the cutting forces, the dynamic behavior of the tool and the workpiece and the kinematic surface finish in 2D1/2 milling operation (slotting, face milling, shoulder milling,…). It can be used to predict chatter-free cutting condition for example. The mechanistic model of the cutting forces is deduced from the local FEM simulation of orthogonal cutting. This FEM model uses the commercial software ABAQUS and is able to simulate chip formation and cutting forces in an orthogonal cutting test. This model is able to reproduce physical phenomena in macro cutting conditions (including segmented chip) as well as specific phenomena in micro cutting conditions (minimum chip thickness and size effect). The minimum chip thickness is also taken into account by the global model. The results of simulation for the machining of titanium alloy Ti6Al4V under macro and micro milling condition with the mechanistic model are presented discussed. This approach connects together local machining simulation and global models.

Abstract: The foundations of micro-milling are similar to macro-milling but the phenomena it involves are not a simple scaling-down of macro-cutting. The importance of the minimum chip thickness is one of the significant differences between the two processes. The lagrangian FEM model presented in this paper aims to study the depth of cut influence on chip formation of Ti6Al4V in orthogonal cutting. It is firstly used to compare the modelled saw-toothed macro-chip morphology and cutting forces to experimental cutting results from literature. Then a minimum chip thickness prediction is performed by decreasing the depth of cut. Finally this study is the opportunity to highlight the specific features of micro-cutting reported in literature, such as the effective negative rake angle of the tool or the size effect. The model presented brings therefore a numerical contribution to the comprehension of these phenomena.