On the Role of Reinforcements on Tool Performance During Cutting of Metal Matrix Composites

Machining of metal matrix composites (MMCs) has been notoriously difficult due to the extremely abrasive nature of the reinforcements and presents a significant challenge to the industry. This paper presents an analytical tool flank wear rate model that has been developed for orthogonal cutting processes. In this approach, the wear volume loss is formulated based on the process parameters and reinforcement properties. Then, the flank wear rate is developed by considering the tool geometry in orthogonal metal cutting. The developed model was validated with orthogonal cutting tests conducted on 6061 aluminum MMC reinforced with A2O3 particulates of different average sizes (9.5 μm, 20 μm, 25 μm) and volume fractions (10% and 20%) under similar cutting conditions. The results showed good agreement between the predicted and measured flank wear data.