Numerical and experimental investigation of laser assisted side milling of Ti6A14v alloy

When milling or cutting hard materials, extensive tool wear is a common problem. One strategy for increasing the lifetime of tools is to preheat the material instantaneously by external heat sources, e.g. a laser beam before processing. This study focusses on the simulation of laser assisted side milling with the laser beam located on the cutting edge and moving synchronously with the cutter. This approach increases the heat input efficiency and lowers the cutting force and tool wear. A three dimensional finite element model in DEFORM 3D was set up to predict the cutting forces in the milling process with and without an additional laser heat source. Two different material constitutive models (Johnson-Cook and Calamaz modified J-C material model) were applied in the simulation of a Ti-6Al-4V alloy workpiece. A good agreement of the J-C material model with experimental findings is achieved.