Experimental and numerical assessment of subsurface plastic deformation induced by OFHC copper machining

Strain distributions in the machined surface and subsurface of OFHC copper workpieces were determined experimentally and through numerical simulations. An experimental setup, comprising a double frame camera and a pulsed laser, was developed to measure the displacement fields using the digital image correlation (DIC) technique; strain distributions were then calculated. A numerical orthogonal cutting model was also developed and applied in order to predict such distributions. Comparison between simulated and measured results enabled an understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of plastic deformation of the machined surface of OFHC copper.