An Investigation of the Influence of a Micro-Textured Ball End Cutter’s Different Parameters on the Surface Residual Stress of a Titanium Alloy Workpiece

When machining titanium alloy parts, aside from accuracy, the other key concern when evaluating their quality is the integrity of the machined surface. Residual stress can have a significant impact upon this. A certain amount of residual stress can help to strengthen the workpiece, but excessive residual stress can lead to its deformation. In this paper, we report on an experimental study of the surface integrity of titanium alloy after milling with a microtextured ball-end cutter. Tests were conducted to assess the residual stresses on the surface of titanium alloy workpieces according to the direction of feed and milling. The impact of different micro-texture parameters was also assessed; namely, the diameter, depth, spacing and distance from the cutting edge of the individual pits. Range analysis, which is an orthogonal test, was used to analyze the results of the experiments and a prediction model of surface residual stress was established for the milling of titanium alloy with micro-textured ball-end cutters. This model can provide theoretical support for the optimization of the parameters involved in future milling processes. View Full-Tex