Size-effects and surface integrity in machining and their influence on product sustainability

In machining, the specific cutting energy is known to exponentially increase as the uncut chip thickness decreases. This phenomenon has been known as 'size-effect' is also observed by varying the cutting edge radius, especially when this radius is of the same order or greater than the uncut chip thickness. In such conditions, the quality of the machined surface can be significantly affected. In the work presented in this paper, the influence of the cutting edge radius on the quality of the machined surface was evaluated in terms of surface defects, residual stresses and micro-hardness. The paper presents an analysis of relevant experimental results and a modelling approach for controlled residual stresses in machining, all aimed at improving product sustainability, in terms of its resulting lifetime.