Influence of high-speed milling parameter on 3D surface topography and fatigue behavior of TB6 titanium alloy

High-speed milling of titanium alloys is widely used in aviation and aerospace industries for its high efficiency and good quality.In order to optimize the machining parameters in high-speed milling TB6 titanium alloy,experiments of high-speed milling and fatigue were conducted to investigate the effect of parameters on 3D surface topography and fatigue life.Based on the fatigue fracture,the effect mechanism of surface topography on the fatigue crack initiation was proposed.The experiment results show that when the milling speed ranged from 100 m/min to 140 m/min,and the feed per tooth ranged from 0.02 mm/z to 0.06 mm/z,the obtained surface roughness were within the limit（0.8 μm）.Fatigue life decreased sharply with the increase of surface equivalent stress concentration factor.The average error of fatigue life between the established model and the experimental results was 6.25%.The fatigue cracks nucleated at the intersection edge of machined surface.

PERFORMANCE OF BRAZED DIAMOND CUP-TYPE WHEELS WITH DEFINED GRAIN PATTERN IN GRINDING CEMENTED CARBIDE

A new cup-type grinding wheel of the brazed monolayer diamond is developed with a defined grain pattern on the wheel surface. Grinding performance of the brazed wheel in the surface grinding of cemented carbide is studied. Experimental results show that when continuous dry grinding is employed, grits of the brazed diamond grinding wheel fail mainly in attritious wear and fracture modes and no pull-out ones are found in conventional electroplated and sintered diamond wheels. It indicates the strong retention of brazing alloy to diamond grits and the longer service life of the wheel. In addition, the ground surface has good roughness. The theoretical surface roughness agrees well with experimental results.

DRY GRINDING OF Ti6Al4V ALLOY WITH FLAP WHEELS

The grindability of alloy Ti6AI4V with zireonia alumina and silicon carbide flap wheels, and the effect of process parameters on grinding forces, grinding temperature and surface integrity are studied. The grinding forces are measured by KISTLER 9265B dynamometer. The grinding temperature response is obtained by NI USB-621X signal collection system. Ground surface morphology and the metallographic structure are observed by the Hirox KN-7700 stereoscopic microcope and the Quanta200 scanning electron microscope （SEM）. Surface roughnesses are measured by Mahr Perthometer M1 instrument. The surface microhardnesses are detected by HXS-1000 microhardness tester.

FABRICATION OF DLC COATED COBALT-CEMENTED TUNGSTEN CARBIDE MICRO-DRILLS AND THEIR CUTTING PERFORMANCE

In machining the particle reinforced aluminum based composite material with high Si content using the cobalt-cemented tungsten carbide micro cutting tools, diamond like carbon （DLC） films are deposited on cobalt-cemented tungsten carbide micro-drills with two-step pretreatment method. Characteristics of DLC coated tools are investigated in bias-enhanced HFCVD system with the optimized hot filament arrangement. The optimization deposition technology is obtained and the wear mechanism of cutting tools is analyzed. The drilling performance of DLC coated tools is verified by the experiments of cutting particle reinforced aluminum based composite material （Si 15% in volume） compared with uncoated ones. Experimental results show that the two-step pretreatment method is appropriate for complex shaped cemented carbide substrates and ensures the good adhesive strength between the diamond film and the substrate. The cutting performance of DLC coated tool is enhanced 10 times when machining the Si particle reinforced aluminum based metal matrix composite compared with that of uncoated ones under the same cutting conditions.

ANALYSIS ON SURFACE INTEGRITY DURING HIGH SPEED MILLING FOR NEW DAMAGE-TOLERANT TITANIUM ALLOY

Surface integrity of a new damage-tolerant titanium alloy （TC21）, including surface roughness, microhardness and metallurgical structure is investigated when normal and high speed milling are used at different tool wear status. Results show that good surface integrity of TC21 can be obtained in high speed milling. In addition, even in acutely worn stages, there is no so-called serious hardening layer （or white layer） according to the studies on microhardness and metallurgical structure.

FLOW STRESS MODELING FOR AERONAUTICAL ALUMINUM ALLOY 7050-T7451 IN HIGH-SPEED CUTTING

The high temperature split Hopkinson pressure bar （SHPB） compression experiment is conducted to obtain the data relationship among strain, strain rate and flow stress from room temperature to 550 C for aeronautical aluminum alloy 7050-T7451. Combined high-speed orthogonal cutting experiments with the cutting process simulations, the data relationship of high temperature, high strain rate and large strain in high-speed cutting is modified. The Johnson-Cook empirical model considering the effects of strain hardening, strain rate hardening and thermal softening is selected to describe the data relationship in high-speed cutting, and the material constants of flow stress constitutive model for aluminum alloy 7050-T7451 are determined. Finally, the constitutive model of aluminum alloy 7050-T7451 is established through experiment and simulation verification in high-speed cutting. The model is proved to be reasonable by matching the measured values of the cutting force with the estimated results from FEM simulations.

GRINDING FORCE IN PRECISION MACHINING OF WC-Co COATING BY CUP WHEEL

High machining precision and machining efficiency can be obtained in grinding WC-Co coating by cup wheel. The conventional model of the grinding force is not suitable for the grinding of the cup wheel due to the difference in grinding style between the cup wheel and the conventional external wheel. So the grit grinding process of the cup wheel is studied, and a new concept of the effective grinding width of the cup wheel is presented. Then the grinding force in grinding WC-Co coating materials by cup wheel is analyzed and a theoretical formula is deduced. Finally, experimental results of the grinding force verify the correctness and the precision of the theoretical formula.

CUTTING TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT IN HIGH-SPEED END MILLING

A computer aided measurement system is used to measure the cutting temperature directly in high-speed machining by natural thermocouples and standard thermocouples. In this system the tool/workpiece interface temperature is measured by the tool/workpiece natural thermocouple, while the temperature distribution on the workpiece surface and that of interior are measured by some standard thermocouples prearranged at proper positions. The system can be used to measure cutting temperature in the machining with the rotary cutting tools, such as vertical drill and end milling cutter. It is practically used for the research on high-speed milling with hardened steel.

Nanogrinding of SiC wafers with high flatness and low subsurface damage

Nanogrinding of SiC wafers with high flatness and low subsurface damage was proposed and nanogrinding experiments were carried out on an ultra precision grinding machine with fine diamond wheels. Experimental results show that nanogrinding can produce flatness less than 1.0μm and a surface roughness Ra of 0.42nm. It is found that nanogrinding is capable of producing much flatter SiC wafers with a lower damage than double side lapping and mechanical polishing in much less time and it can replace double side lapping and mechanical polishing and reduce the removal amount of chemical mechanical polishing.

DEVELOPMENT AND EXPERIMENT OF NEW AlTiN COATED DRILLS FOR HIGH EFFICIENCY DRY DRILLING OF 40Cr

Two new AlTiN coated cemented carbide drills with Al content of 40% and 55% in weight are developed for high efficiency dry drilling of 40Cr. By studying tool durability, machined hole quality, tool wear mechanism, chip deformation, and lubrication, the dry drilling performance of the two kinds of coated drills is analyzed. Experimental results show that the AlTiN coated drills are suitable for high efficiency dry drilling and can obtain higher quality of machined holes. The tool durability of the drill with 55% Al content is 1. 3 times of that of the drill with 40% Al content at the cutting speed of 90 m/min. The wear mechanism of two AlTiN coatings are studied in experiments. During dry drilling process, oxidative wear appears in both two kinds of drills. The oxide film is formed on the top of the coated drill containing Al content of 55%. And the oxide film helps to increase its high temperature resistance and decrease the coating flaking, thus the drill is failed because of coating subsidence. The drill with less Al content is failed due to peeling and breakage. The lubricated condition in dry drilling is improved by the high Al content coating. It helps to reduce the cutting deformation and benefits to improve the quality of machined holes. The AlTiN coating with higher Al content shows longer tool life and higher quality of machined holes in high efficiency dry drilling. Its tool life increases by 30% compared with that of the coating with less Al content.

Manufacture, characterization and application of porous metal-fiber sintered felt used as mass-transfer-controlling medium for direct methanol fuel cells

Fabrication, characterization and performance of a porous metal-fiber sintered felt （PMFSF） based on multi-tooth cutting and solid-phase sintering were studied. The PMFSF was used as the anodic methanol barrier in a passive air-breathing direct methanol fuel cell to mitigate the effects of methanol crossover. Compared with the commercial SUS316L felt made of bundle-drawn fibers, this self-made PMFSF has larger pore diameter, polarized pore distribution, irregular fiber shape, rougher surface, lower mass flow resistance and evident hydrophobicity. The results reveal that the use of a PMFSF significantly enhances the cell performance since it helps to maintain a balance between the reactant and product management while depressing methanol crossover. The PMFSF with a porosity of 70% yields the highest cell performance at a methanol concentration of 4 mol/L.

NOVEL METHOD FOR DYNAMIC OPTIMIZATION OF STABILITY IN HIGH-SPEED MILLING SYSTEM

Considering the self-excited and forced vibrations in high-speed milling processes, a novel method for dynamic optimization of system stability is used to determine the cutting parameters and structural parameters by increasing the chatter free material removal rate （CF-MRR） and surface finish. The method is hased on the theory of the chatter stability and the semi-bandwidth of the resonant region. The objective function of the method is material removal rate（MRR）,the constraints are chatter stability and surface finish, and the optimizing variables are cutting and structural parameters. The optimization procedure is stated. The method is applied to a milling system and CF-MRR is increased 18.86%. It is shown that the influences of the chatter stability and the resonance are simultaneously considered in the dynamic optimization of the milling system for increasing CF-MRR and the surface finish.

MACHINING OF METAL MATRIX COMPOSITES

Two types of aluminium-based composites reinforced respectively with 20 vol short fibre alumina and with a hybrid of 15 vol SiC particle and 5 vol short alumina fibre are machined with different tool materials:cemented carbide,ceramic,cubic boron nitride(CBN)and polycrystalline diamond(PCD).The analysis on tool wear shows that the various tool materials exhibite different tool wear behaviours,and the tool wear mechanisma are discussed.Apparently,PCD tools do not necessarily guarantee dimensional stability but they can provide the most economic means for machining all sorts of composites.Consequently,a suitable tool material is suggested for machining each metal matrix composite(MMC) from the standpoints of tool wear and machined surface finish.

EFFECT OF COOLING/LUBRICATION MEDIUM ON MACHINABILITY OF Ti6Al4V

To better understand and know the roles of cooling/lubrication medium in the cutting process and expand their applicability,uncoated cemented carbide tools are used in high-speed turning Ti6Al4V.Dry,cold air,minimal quantity lubrication（MQL）,cryogenic MQL,and ionized air as the cooling/lubrication conditions are studied.Experimental results show that at speed 120 m/min turning Ti6Al4V,the cutting force under ionized air is smallest under all lubricant conditions,and tool life is best,next is cryogenic MQL.MQL and cold air almost have the same effect,a little better than dry.Meanwhile the smallest surface roughness is also obtained under ionized air condition.Flank wear and crater wear are the dominant failure modes when high-speed turning Ti6Al4V by SEM analysis.Finally the conclusion is drawn that ionized air and cryogenic MQL have better cooling/lubrication effects and can effectively improve the tool life.

GRINDING TEMPERATURE AND COOLING RATE DURING GRIND-HARDENING OF 40Cr STEEL

The mathematical model of the grinding temperature is established. The grinding temperature and the cooling rate are measured in the grind-hardening process of 40Cr steel under different conditions. Moreover, the grind-hardening effects are investigated. Experimental results show that the calculated temperatures are comparatively close to the measured ones, and the required temperature and cooling rate can be achieved. Furthermore, the microstructure of the hardened zone is similar to that obtained through the high-frequency induction technique. The average hardness of the entirely hardened zone is HV670 and the thickness of the hardened layer is adjacent to 1.3 mm. It indicates that the hardening mechanism induced by the grinding heat and high-frequency heating is identical. Finally, the fine needlelike martensite is obtained.

ELECTROCHEMICAL GRINDING OF UNPARALLEL-RULED SURFACE

To solve the problem of finishing the twist blade surface of an impeller, the five-axis numerically controlled electrochemical contour evolution grinding （NC-ECCEG） is studied. Over-cutting errors of NC-ECCEG of the twist blade surface generated by parallel lines are analyzed. The formula for calculating the over-cutting error is deduced. The method for eliminating the over-cutting error is used in the conical grinding wheel and the combined five-axis linkage NC-ECCEG system. The structure and the movement of the NC-ECCEG machine tool,the combined multi-axis NC system and its linkage control technology are introduced. Further, the mathematical model of the NC-ECCEG unparallel-ruled surface is established. An auto-programming system on five-axis NGECCEG is developed to grind the impeller. The machining efficiency of NC-ECCEG increases more than 12 times than that of manual polishing operations.

TOOL WEAR PATTERNS AND MECHANISMS OF SOLID CEMENTED CARBIDE IN HIGH-SPEED MILLING OF ALUMINUM ALLOY

The wear patterns and wear mechanisms of solid cemented carbide are analyzed in high-speed milling of aluminum alloy. Results show that the dominant wear patterns are coating damage, crater wear, micro-chipping, breakage, and so on. The main wear mechanisms are adhesion, diffusion and fatigue. Compared with conventional speed machining, the effect and impact of thermal-dynamical coupling field play an important role in the cutting tool wear in high-speed milling of aluminum alloy.

INTERNET-BASED MACHINING PARAMETER OPTIMIZATION AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR HIGH-SPEED MACHINING

The theory and its method of machining parameter optimization for high-speed machining are studied. The machining data collected from workshops, labs and references are analyzed. An optimization method based on the genetic algorithm (GA) is investigated. Its calculation speed is faster than that of traditional optimization methods, and it is suitable for the machining parameter optimization in the automatic manufacturing system. Based on the theoretical studies, a system of machining parameter management and optimization is developed. The system can improve productivity of the high-speed machining centers.

Micro-displacement amplifying mechanism driven by piezoelectric actuator

Piezoelectric actuator has high stiffness, high frequency and infinite control precision, but a short output displacement which is often 1/1 000 of its length. In order to meet the requirements that tools feeding should be long-travel, high-frequency and high-precision in non-circular precision turning, a new one-freedom flexure hinge structure is put forward to amplify the output displacement of piezoelectric actuator. Theoretical analysis is done on the static and dynamic characteristics of the structure, differential equations are presented, and it is also verified by the finite element method. It's proved by experiments that the output displacement of the structure is 293 μm and its resonant frequency is 312 Hz.

VIBRATION IN HIGH-SPEED MILLING OF THIN-WALLED COMPONENTS

To investigate the vibration principle in machining thin-walled components, a dynamic model for end milling of flexible structures is built based on considering the variations in the dynamic chip thickness and the differences between up-milling and down-milling. Two milling experiments verify the model. Experimental results show that the model can predict the milling force and displacements simultaneously in the dynamic milling process.