Simulation and experiment analysis on thermal deformation of tool system in single-point diamond turning of aluminum alloy

The aim of this work is to simulate thermal deformation of tool system and investigate the influence of cutting parameters on it in single-point diamond turning (SPDT) of aluminum alloy. The experiments with various cutting parameters were conducted. Cutting temperature was measured by FLIR A315 infrared thermal imager. Tool wear was measured by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The numerical model of heat flux considering tool wear generated in cutting zone was established. Then two-step finite element method (FEM) simulations matching the experimental conditions were carried out to simulate the thermal deformation. In addition, the tests of deformation of tool system were performed to verify previous simulation results. And then the influence of cutting parameters on thermal deformation was investigated. The results show that the temperature and thermal deformation from simulations agree well with the results from experiments in the same conditions. The maximum thermal deformation of tool reaches to 7 μm. The average flank wear width and cutting speed are the dominant factors affecting thermal deformation, and the effective way to decrease the thermal deformation of tool is to control the tool wear and the cutting speed.