Modeling high-speed cutting of SiC_p/Al composites using a semi-phenomenologically based damage model

In this paper, we attempts to investigate cutting mechanisms in high-speed cutting of Al6061/SiC_p/15p composites using a semi-phenomenologically based damage model in the equivalent homogeneous material (EHM) framework. By combining macroscale EHM modeling and underlying microscale physical mechanisms, a feasible semi-phenomenological plastic model is proposed for prediction of cutting forces and chip morphology during high-speed turning Al6061/SiC_p/15p composites. This model incorporates the modified Weibull weakest-link effect to represent the strain-based damage evolution in large deformations. This proposed semi-phenomenological constitutive model is implemented by compiling material subroutines into cutting finite element (FE) codes. The effects of the critical shear stresses on chip formation that depend on the tool-chip frictional coefficient are accounted for in the cutting FE model. The chip formation mechanism affecting material removal behaviors during high-speed turning is further investigated. The capabilities of the proposed constitutive model are evaluated by comparing cutting forces and chip morphologies between experiments and simulations at different cutting speeds associated with strain rates. The EHM-based and microstructure-based models are further compared in both computational efficiency and accuracy. The simulation results show that the developed semi-phenomenological constitutive formalism and cutting model are promising and efficient tools for further investigation of dynamic mechanical and cutting behaviors of particle-reinforced composites with different volume fraction and particle size.