A numerical investigation and experimental validation on chip morphology of Aluminum Alloy 6061 during orthogonal machining

In this research work, Aluminum alloy Al6061-T6 was machined in order to investigate the chip morphology at different cutting parameters. Chip morphology with different shapes and sizes affects various aspects such as cutting force, chatter stability and cutting temperature which in turn influences workpiece surface quality, tool life, and machining efficiency. Orthogonal cutting experiments were carried out with the CCMW 09 T3 04-H13A uncoated carbide tool in the cutting speed range of 250-1,000 m/min and feed rate of 0.1-0.4 mm/r to obtain the chip thicknesses and the shear angles. Commercially available software Abaqus/Explicit was used to simulate a 2D orthogonal model. The simulation results were found to be in close agreement with the experimental results and showed that chip thickness decreased with increasing cutting speed whereas shear angle increased with the increase of cutting speed.