Effect of tip profile on cutting processability of a trapezoidal cutting blade indented to an aluminum sheet

This paper is an investigation of detaching phenomena of a trapezoidal cutting blade on a wedged surface of a thin work sheet.To study critical conditions for cutting off an aluminum sheet, the wedged profile of the work sheet was experimentally studied by varying the tip thickness of the trapezoidal cutting blade, which simulated a crushed bevel blade.To analyze the detached condition and separation force of the wedged sheet, an elastoplastic finite element program was used to analyze wedge indentation to the work sheet.The following results were obtained: (i) the deformation of the wedged sheet can be classified in four patterns; (ii) the critical condition for cutting off the work sheet depends on the ratio of tip thickness by sheet thickness w/t; (iii) the separation of the work sheet occurred statistically for w/t = 0.13 ∼ 0.28; and (iv) the separation line force can be used to explain the necking mode and the detached condition.