Arch Comput Methods Eng (2007) 14: 173–204 DOI 10.1007/s11831-007-9005-7 Modelling and Simulation of Machining Processes M. Vaz Jr. · D.R.J. Owen · V. Kalhori · M. Lundblad · L.-E. Lindgren Published online: 8 June 2007 © CIMNE, Barcelona, Spain 2007 Abstract The modelling of metal cutting has proved to be particularly complex due to the diversity of physical phe- nomena involved, including thermo-mechanical coupling, contact/friction and material failure. The present work out- lines the wide range of complex physical phenomena in- volved in the chip formation in a descriptive manner. In order to improve and understand the process different nu- merical strategies have been used for simulation. Several of these numerical strategies are reviewed and a short discus- sion of their relative merits and drawbacks is presented. By means of several examples, where a combined experimen- tal/numerical effort was undertaken, we try to illustrate what numerical techniques, models and pertinent parameters are needed for successful simulations. M. Vaz Jr. ( ) Department of Mechanical Engineering, State University of Santa Catarina, 89223-100 Joinville, Brazil e-mail: m.vaz@joinville.udesc.br D.R.J. Owen Civil and Computational Engineering Centre, University of Wales Swansea, SA2 8PP Swansea, UK e-mail: d.r.j.owen@swansea.ac.uk V. Kalhori · M. Lundblad Sandvik Coromant, USE-811 81 Sandviken, Sweden V. Kalhori e-mail: vahid.kalhori@sandvik.com M. Lundblad e-mail: mikael.lundblad@sandvik.com L.-E. Lindgren Division of Material Mechanics, Luleå University of Technology, S-971 87 Luleå, Sweden e-mail: Lars-Erik.Lindgren@ltu.se 1 Introduction Metal cutting is a process in which, by action of a cutting edge (or edges) of a tool, unnecessary material is removed. It is one of the most common manufacturing processes for pro- ducing parts and obtaining specified geometrical dimensions and surface finish. Turning, drilling, and milling are exam- ples of different industrial applications that use this principle with different geometry and number of cutting edges. Nev- ertheless, in the current work, the analysis is restricted to models that describe the local behaviour due to one cutting edge. These models can be used to increase the knowledge of the cutting process and improve it. Understanding of the material removal process in metal cutting is important in se- lecting tool material and design and in assuring consistent dimensional accuracy and surface integrity of the finished product. Although mechanical cutting is one of the most wide- spread processes, the modelling and simulation of this phe- nomenon is by no means trivial. It has proved to be particu- larly complex due to the diversity of physical phenomena in- volved, including large elasto-plastic deformation, compli- cated contact/friction conditions, thermo-mechanical cou- pling and chip separation mechanisms. One factor that has caused considerable difficulty and frustration to researchers investigating the chip formation is the fact that the phenom- ena occurring in the vicinity of the cutting edge are highly localized and not directly observable. After more than a hun- dred years of research, the study of metal machining still constitutes a current challenging task. Although the first the- oretical models were able to describe the problem only qual- itatively, their principles and assumptions laid foundations for further advancements. The main shortcoming of exist- ing solutions for chip formation mechanisms perhaps lies in