In this study, the impact of the microstructure of the \(\alpha +\beta\) Ti17 titanium alloy on cutting force and chip morphology is investigated using both experimental and numerical approaches. To this end, instrumented orthogonal cutting tests were conducted using a high-speed camera. According to in situ observations, chip morphology appears to be more sensitive to microstructure than to cutting conditions within the investigated range. Following the experiments, a comparison was made between the results obtained from a numerical cutting model largely based on the crystal plasticity framework and the experimental data. This comparison enabled an assessment of the model’s ability to accurately reproduce both cutting force and chip morphology. Finally, the model was used to predict the influence of various microstructural parameters on chip formation. The results indicate that the crystallographic orientation of \(\beta\) grains strongly affects chip morphology, temperature and strain fields as well as the cutting force. Also, the [110] orientation of the \(\beta\) grains relative to the cutting direction reduces both cutting force and temperatures in the thermally affected zone. Concerning the influence of the \(\alpha\) -phase variant selection, when a single \(\alpha\) variant is assigned per grain, the anisotropic mechanical response is more pronounced, resulting in higher cutting force, stronger localization of plastic strain, and enhanced damage within the primary shear zone. Conversely, random selection of variants at the finite element level tends to homogenize the mechanical response, reducing the influence of local anisotropy and leading to lower cutting force and a more confined thermal field.
