Investigation of Chip Thickness and Shear Angle During Turning AISI 304 Stainless Steel

During the machining process, handling and processing chips poses a constant challenge, especially for stainless steel. One of the challenges in controlling and processing chips is their tendency to become entangled or jammed in the machinery, leading to disruptions in the machining process. Additionally, the sharpness and hardness of stainless steel chips can cause excessive tool wear, requiring frequent tool changes and increasing production costs. This work investigates the influence of different cutting parameters on the chip morphology. The chip thickness ratio and the shear angle were measured, varying with the cutting conditions. The study's findings demonstrated that the cutting conditions had a significant impact on the chip morphology. The shear angle and chip thickness ratio were observed to increase with an increase in the cutting speed. However, they decreased with an increase in the feed rate and depth of cut. This study also developed a mathematical model to predict and plot the chip characteristics varying with the cutting conditions for a better understanding of the interaction between the cutting conditions. This work provides a basis for obtaining cutting forces and optimizing the turning of AISI 304 stainless steel.