3-D finite element process simulation of micro-end milling Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy: Experimental validations on chip flow and tool wear

Finite element (FE) simulation of machining can be used as a replacement or a supplementary to the physical experiment allowing an analysis to be performed at a lower cost. Besides, FE simulation can offer predictions of process variables which are difficult to obtain by experiment. This paper provides investigations on 3-D FE modeling and simulation of micro-end milling process for Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy. 3-D FE models proposed for full-immersion, half immersion up and down milling are utilized to study the influence of increasing tool edge radius due to wear on the process performance of micro-end milling. Predicted 3-D chip flow and shapes are compared against the experiments which provided reasonably good agreements. Tool wear along the micro-end milling tool is predicted and validated with experiments. The results of this study indicated that tool wear has a significant impact to the cutting force, cutting temperature, tool wear rate, chip flow and burr formation. In addition, a comparison of 3-D and 2-D FE simulations is provided giving a better understanding of utilizing their predictions.