Metal Cutting Principles

Metal cutting is one of the most important methods of removing unwanted material in the production of mechanical components. This practical introduction to metal cutting identifies major problem areas and relates observed performance to the fundamentals of physics, chemistry, materials behaviour and the engineering sciences of heat transfer, solid mechanics and surface science. It analyzes the basic two-dimensional cutting process and considers representative three-dimensional examples. Special attention is given to cutting temperatures, tool wear and life and the integrity of finished surfaces. The text stresses the complexities of cutting processes and gives several simplified models which emphasize different aspects of the problem, such as thermal, material and surface considerations which are important to various degress, depending on the machining process.