The chip control factor in machinability assessments: Recent trends

This paper highlights the worldwide trend in chip control research emphasising the need for considering the chip control factor as a machinability criterion along with other, more conventionally known, criteria such as the tool-life, material removal rate, cutting forces/power, surface finish and machining accuracy. The need for predicting chip forms/shapes, prior to the actual machining operations, at the operations planning stage, and the continuous process monitoring for controlling the unforseen chip form variations resulting from factors such as rapid tool-wear, non uniform work material properties and temperature effects, have been found to be the two major research directions of the present time. The need for designing "optimum" chip breakers for improved chip breaking, reduced power consumption and increased tool-life has been called for. Adequate understanding of the mechanics of chip flow, chip curl and chip breaking processes and developing knowledge based systems for chip control applications in unmanned manufacture have been positively identified as vital.