Finite Element Modeling of Discontinuous Chip Formation During Rock Cutting

In this paper, chip formation process during mechanical cutting of rock is simulated by using an explicit finite element code, LS-DYNA. In the simulation, the work-piece material properties have been modeled using the damage constitute material model. This model simulates the separation of the chip from the work-piece and the simultaneous breakage of the chip into multiple fragments. In the simulation, a rigid steel tool was moved at various sliding velocities, namely 1, 4, 10, 50 and 100 mm/s against a stationary rock material. For a given sliding velocity, the simulations were carried out for various cutting depths, namely 1, 2, 3 and 4 mm. The variation of stresses and the amount of chip formation at different depths of cut and velocities have been investigated. Overall, the results indicate that the explicit FEM is a powerful tool for simulating rock cutting and chip formation. More specifically, the separation of chip from the work-piece at different depths of cut was distinctly shown using this numerical model.