Quantitative Characterization of Chip Morphology Using Computed Tomography in Orthogonal Turning Process

The simulation of machining process has been an area of active research for over two decades. To fully incorporate finite element (FE) simulations as a state of art tool design aid, there is a need for higher accuracy methodology. An area of improvement is the prediction of chip shape in FE simulations. Characterization of chip shape is therefore a necessity to validate the FE simulations with experimental investigations. The aim of this paper is to present an investigation where computed tomography (CT) is used for the characterization of the chip shape obtained from 2D orthogonal turning experiments. In this work, the CT method has been used for obtaining the full 3D representation of a machined chip. The CT method is highly advantageous for the complex curled chip shapes besides its ability to capture microscopic features on the chip like lamellae structure and surface roughness. This new methodology aids in the validation of several key parameters representing chip shape. The chip morphology's 3D representation is obtained with the necessary accuracy which provides the ability to use chip curl as a practical validation tool for FE simulation of chip formation in practical machining operations. The study clearly states the ability of the new CT methodology to be used as a tool for the characterization of chip morphology in chip formation studies and industrial applications.