A system concept in metal cutting

A study of orthogonal cutting mechanisms has been conducted using a system concept. The cutting process is considered as taking place within the cutting system, which is defined as consisting of the following components: the cutting tool, the chip and the workpiece. The term 'system' emphasizes that an overall operation process, within a frame of the system time, is under consideration rather than a collection of pieces. Using the introduced concept, the chip-formation process in the cutting of brittle and elasto-plastic workpiece materials is considered as a result of the dynamic interactions of the systems components. The system consideration reveals that: (i) the formation of the chip is caused by the bending stress when it is combined with the shear stress in the deformation zone; and (ii) the chip formation process is cyclical. Sample calculation and results of experiments are used to illustrate the existence, role and significance of the bending stress. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.