An Analytical Model for the Evaluation of Primary Shear Zone Thickness in Orthogonal Cutting

The use of analytical modeling of continuous chip formation in conjunction with orthogonal cutting experiments was presented in the open literature to identify the coefficients of material constitutive equation within the practical range of stress, strain, strain rate, and temperature encountered in metal cutting. Identification of reliable constitutive data was hampered by a lack of a reliable model for the prediction of the primary shear zone thickness that affects directly the effective strain rate field. An original analytical model to determine the primary shear zone thickness is proposed in this paper. It is based on the mechanics governing the material flow in the primary shear zone. Based on the distribution of the hydrostatic pressure and the forces measured from orthogonal cutting tests, the model that describes the thickness of the primary shear zone is derived. To validate the model, FE simulations of chip formation using DEFORM3D were carried out for different materials and cutting conditions. The results of the analytical model are in reasonable agreement with FEM results.