INTRODUCTION

Mild steel is the most commonly used form of steel and this is because of its abundance and its
relatively low prices. Besides that mild steel possess outstanding material properties which are
much required in engineering applications. [1] The low carbon content of mild steel which is just
up to 0.3% makes it neither extremely brittle nor ductile therefore makes it convenient for
machining. Why this is crucial is because the main objective of the project is to study the chip
formation of mild steel upon lathe machining. [1] [2]
Now that we know mild steel is a suitable low carbon steel for lathe machining, we can discuss
more on what is lathe machining. To be perfectly in content we can define lathe machining as a
process of machining which rotates the work piece on its axis to perform various operations such
as cutting, sanding, knurling, drilling, or deformation, facing, turning, with tools that are applied
to the work piece to create an object which has symmetry about an axis of rotation. [2]
To further discuss on the project, the categorization of chip formation is to be done. Chip
formation is the partial result of a cutting process of material by using mechanical means, tools
such as saws, milling cutters, cnc milling and also lathes are used in this process. The
engineering of chip formation is an important factor to be analyzed to develop machines and
their cutting tools to have an efficient and longer life span. [3]
Several previous studies on chip formation upon lathe machining include that Lathe turning may
produce long, continuous chips, or short, broken chips. Broken chips carry away heat and may
reduce tool temperature. Continuous chips may snarl and interfere with machine operation.
Inside diameter turning or thread cutting may be unusually susceptible to snarls from continuous
chips. [4] Other researchers have constructed acoustic emission (AE) chip form monitors. A
mathematical model and its advanced continuous simulation language (ACSL) embodiment are
described. A simulation study suggests that straight forward modifications hold promise of inprocess chip length sensors that can be used for feedback control. [5] Besides that another study
states that machining conditions, speed, feed and depth of cut, as well as the mechanical
properties of the machined parts have a marked influence on the mechanics of chip formation.
The cutting force components were measured in order to determine the mean coefficient of
friction on the tool face and to determine the relation between this coefficient of friction and the
type of chip produced. [6] Another research conducted specifies in chip breaking upon turning of

lathe machining of mild steel. The characteristics of chip breakage for mild steel with respect to
cutting speed, depth of cut and feed were analyzed this experimental research. This deals with
the modeling of the chip flow formation process using different insert geometrics, which leads to
controlled parameters in chip control [7]

LITERATURE REVIEW

1. Types of chip formation

Chip formation is part of the process of cutting materials by mechanical means, using tools such
as saws, lathes and milling cutters. An understanding of the theory and engineering of this
formation is an important part of the development of such machines and their cutting tools.
The formal study of chip formation was encouraged around World War II and shortly afterwards,
with increases in the use of faster and more powerful cutting machines, particularly for metal
cutting with the new high speed steel cutters. Pioneering work in this field was carried out by Dr.
Norman Franz who came out with the three types of chips formed upon machining, [8] which is:
Type 1: Continuous Chip [4]
This leaves the tool as a long ribbon and is common when cutting most ductile materials such as
mild steel, copper and Aluminum. It is associated with good tool angles, correct speeds and
feeds, and the use of cutting fluid.
Type 2: Discontinuous Chip [4]
The chip leaves the tool as small segments of metal resulted from cutting brittle metals such as
cast iron and cast brass with tools having small rake angles. There is nothing wrong with this
type of chip in these circumstances.
Type 3: Continuous Chip with Buildup Edge [4]
This is a chip to be avoided and is caused by small particles from the workpiece becoming
welded to the tool face under high pressure and heat. The phenomenon results in a poor finish

and damage to the tool. It can be minimized or prevented by using light cuts at higher speeds
with an appropriate cutting lubricant.

Chip Breaker
A chip breaker is used to break the continuous chip into sections so that the chips cannot tangle
around the cutting tool. The simplest form of chip breaker is made by grinding a groove on the
tool face a few millimeters behind the cutting edge. [7]

2. Cutting speed
To be more conceptual on chip formation, it is important to discuss on the metal cutting process
which takes into account of the speed of work piece as it is a very important factor in the
machining process. To maintain stable machining the desired type of chips and the work control
for the chips should be seen through because problems with work piece accuracy and tool life
would then be something to be worried, besides that the speed of the machining is directly
proportional to the types of chip formed especially in high speed lathe turning. [9] All materials
have an optimum cutting speed and it is defined as the speed at which a point on the surface of
the work passes the cutting edge or point of the tool. The calculation of the spindle speed can be
used to obtain the cutting speed of metal which is: [10]

Where:
N = Spindle Speed (RPM)
Metal

meters /min

Cast Iron

20-28

Mild Steel

18-25

High Speed Steel

12-18

Brass

45-90

Bronze

15-21

Aluminium

up to 300

CS = Cutting Speed of Metal (m/min)

d = Diameter of Work piece

Table 1: shows the types of metal and optimum cutting speed [10]

3. Feed
To define feed, it can be said as the distance the tool moves per revolution of the work pieceand
it depends merely on the surface finish required. For roughing out a soft material the feed should
be relatively higher so a feed of 0.25mm/rev could be used and with tougher materials a lower
feed should be used to reduce friction and lessen heat generated from tool so an approximate
0.10mm/rev a feed of up to 0.25 mm per revolution may be used. The machining feed rate is a
velocity at which the cutter is fed .It is advanced against the work-piece material The feed rate is
dependent on the following factors: tool types .Surface nish. Power available at the spindle.
Tooling setup and rigidity of the machine. Work-piece material strength. Work-piece material
machinability. [11] The feed rate is a very important parameter that produces an effect on the
machining process and and creating the best surface finish for products .The desirable feed rate
depends on the number of teeth on the cutter in addition to the required quantity of material per
tooth to cut for a milling machine that uses a multi-tipped/multi-uted cutting tools.The feed rate
permissible for a cutting edge to work is fully dependent on the the number of cutting edges.
Then, efciently it must remove sufcient material to cut rather than rub because if there is a rub
factor then the huger the heat generated thus reducing tool life and making the material machined
to be defected which proportionally produces chips as for deeper cuts which retain heat rather
than eject it.. [12]

4. Tools material
Characteristics of Tool Materials:
An efficient cutting a tool must with hold these properties:
Hot Hardness
This is defined as the ability of tool to retain its hardness at even high temperatures upon
cutting. All cutting operations basically generate heat and this directly results in reducing
tool hardness and increases chances of tool wear.
Strength and Resistance to Shock

At the start of a cut the first touch of the tool on the work will result in a considerably
high shock loading thus it must obtain the strength to withstand the .
Low Coefficient of Friction
This absolutely means that the coefficient of friction between the tool and work piece
must be kept to be minimum because if the coefficient of friction is high then the amount
of heat produced will be higher thus making the work piece to have an uneven surface
finish. [10] [13]
Tool Materials in Common Use:
High Carbon Steel [10]
Contains 1 - 1.4% carbon with some addition of chromium and tungsten to improve wear
resistance. The steel begins to lose its hardness at about 250 C, and is not desired for
modern machining operations where high speeds and heavy cuts are usually employed.
High Speed Steel (H.S.S.) [10]
Steel, which has a hot hardness value of about 600 C, possesses good strength and shock
resistant properties. It is commonly used for single point lathe cutting tools and multi
point cutting tools such as drills, reamers and milling cutters.
Cemented Carbides [10] [13]
An extremely hard material made from tungsten powder. Carbide tools are usually used
in the form of brazed or clamped tips. High cutting speeds may be used and materials
difficult to cut with HSS may be readily machined using carbide tipped tool.

Tool life [10]

As a general rule the relationship between the tool life and cutting speed is:
VTn = C
Where;
V = cutting speed in m/min
T = tool life in min
C = a constant
For high-speed steel tools the value of C ranges from 0.14 to 0.1 and for carbide tools
the value would be 0.2.

5. Cutting fluid / lubricant :

The aims in metal cutting are to retain accuracy, to get a good surface finish on the work
piece and at the same time to have a longer tool life.
However during the metal cutting process heat is generated due to:
the deformation of the material ahead of the tool friction at the tool point. Heat generated
due to friction can readily be reduced by using a lubricant. Heat caused by deformation
cannot be reduced and yet it can be carried away by a fluid. Thus the use of a cutting
fluid will serve to reduce the tool wear, give better surface finish and a tighter
dimensional control. [14] [15]
The proper selection, mixing and application of cutting fluids is however often
misunderstood and frequently neglected in machining practice. In order that the cutting
fluid performs its functions properly it is necessary to ensure that the cutting fluid be
applied directly to the cutting zone so that it can form a film at the sliding surfaces of the
tool. [14] [16]
Cutting fluids in common use
Water
It has a high specific heat but is poor in lubrication and also encourages rusting. It is used
as a cooling agent during tool grinding. [14]
Soluble Oils
Oil will not dissolve in water but can be made to form an intimate mixture or emulsion by
adding emulsifying agents. The oil is then suspended in the water in the form of tiny
droplets. These fluids have average lubricating abilities and good cooling properties.
Soluble oils are suitable for light cutting operations on general purpose machines where
high rates of metal removal are often not of prime importance. There are many forms of
soluble oil in the market and the suppliers instruction should be followed regarding the
proportions of the `mix'. [16]
Mineral Oils

They are used for heavier cutting operations because of their good lubricating properties
and are commonly found in production machines where high rates of metal removal are
employed. Mineral oils are very suitable for steels but should not be used on copper or its
alloys since it has a corrosive effect. [16]
Vegetable Oils [16]
They are good lubricants but are of little used since they are liable to decompose and
smell badly.

Task

W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8 W9 W10 W11 W12 W13 W14 W

FYP Briefing
Title selection
Research
and
design
methodology class
Literature review
Methodology
review
Field work
Progress report 1
Progress report 2
Oral presentation
End of Course
survey submission
Work schedule:

Gant chart for work completed and work in progress

Table 2: Gant chart

Conclusion
To conclude we can say that the formation of chips of mild steel upon lathe machining depends
on many factors such as feed, speed, lubricant and also types of tool material. Besides that based
on previous studies we have got to know the classifications of chips based on their
characteristics, there are three types of chips which are formed upon machining which are
continuous chips, discontinuous chips and also built-up edge chips. For these formation there are
also chip breaking systems that are engineered for example grooving or even more
technologically advance for precision machining which is acoustic emission which detects chip
formation and troubleshoots it. Besides that trough previous researches we know that all of the
study were based on basic criterias and factors that control the chip formation to have controlled
machining of work piece. From what is at hand now we can say that the literature review will be
of much need when starting the experiment and this will help to gain more information in the
study of chip formation of mild steel upon lathe machining.

References
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[3] E. P. Degarmo, J. T. Black and R. A. Kohser, " Materials and Processes in
Manufacturing," no. 9th ed, 2003.
[4] P. A. R. K. E. S. Thomas L. Ward, "Simulation of chip form estimation and control
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