Constitutive modeling and material removal analysis in low-speed honing of carburized 20CrMnTi gear steel

: This study establishes a reliable Johnson-Cook (J-C) constitutive model for carburized and quenched 20CrMnTi gear steel to enable the accurate finite element (FE) simulation of the low-speed honing process. The plasticity and damage parameters of the J-C model were calibrated through an integrated approach combining quasi-static tensile tests and high-strain-rate Split Hopkinson Tensile Bar (SHTB) experiments. The model’s validity was first verified against uniaxial tensile simulations and dedicated single-grain cutting experiments, demonstrating excellent agreement in predicting flow stress, chip morphology and cutting forces. A comprehensive experimental campaign was then conducted to validate the predictions of this multi-grain model. The results show good agreement between simulation and experiment in terms of cutting forces, surface roughness, and the through-depth residual stress profile. Leveraging this validated foundation, a stochastic multi-grain honing FE model was developed. The engagement state of each abrasive grain (cutting, ploughing, or rubbing) was quantitatively classified using a cutting state coefficient. Furthermore, extended convergence studies and sensitivity analyses confirmed the statistical representativeness and robustness of the simulation results. A key finding is that increasing abrasive grain density induces a mechanistic shift, saturating the proportion of cutting-active grains and the total cutting force, while enhancing ploughing and rubbing actions crucial for final surface finishing. This work provides a fully validated numerical framework for analyzing and optimizing the honing process, contributing to improved gear manufacturing quality and efficiency.