Finite element simulation of residual stress in milling of aluminum alloy with different passes

Abstract Machining-induced residual stress is an important measure of surface integrity. Better residual stress distribution will improve the quality and performance of the workpiece. In the process of cutting, it often encounters the situation of multi-pass cutting. The formation of residual stress in the process of single- or multi-pass cutting has been widely studied, but few researchers consider the same total radial cut depth, divided into single-pass cutting and multi-pass cutting, and the last cutting in the process of multi-pass cutting is less studied. The difference between single-pass cutting and multi-pass cutting is that the former machining of cutting is used as the initial state of the latter machining. The stress/strain and temperature generated on the surface of the former machining can affect the subsequent cutting force, temperature, plastic deformation, and the final residual stress. This paper studies the distribution of cutting force and residual stress generated by single- and multi-pass cutting of Al-7075-T6, and focuses on the analysis of the multi-pass cutting strategy. The three-dimensional finite element method is used to simulate and the experimental results are in good agreement with the simulation results. The results show that compared with single-pass cutting, multi-pass cutting can reduce the surface tensile stress and the magnitude and depth of underground residual compressive stress, and the effect of decreasing method is more obvious when multi-pass cutting. The last machining is affected by the previous cutting. When the next radial cutting depth is greater than the plastic deformation depth produced by the previous cutting, the next radial cutting depth is the same, and the trend of residual stress is approximately the same. The results can guide the optimization of residual stress in the multi-pass cutting strategy.