Prediction of Cutting Tool Stability Based on Temperature Modelling in Power Skiving Gear Cutting Process

The temperature on the teeth of skiving cutters has been studied using comprehensive interlinked mathematical and graphical models that include 3D shear layers and simulation of contact, deformation, force and thermal processes during gear cutting. It is shown that friction on the tooth face generates heat fluxes distributed over the active width of the leading, trailing and top edges of the tooth. At the cutting speeds used for hard alloys, their heating and temperature are less than permissible and do not affect their state change and wear. At the same time, heat flows of considerable intensity are generated near the tips of the teeth, where unfree cutting takes place, causing these areas to heat up to a temperature of more than 1000ºC. This temperature can exceed the heat resistance limit of many hard alloys, causing the tools to lose their cutting properties and wear faster due to loss of hardness. The results of the modelling allow the maximum cutting speed to be set for each tool material at which the temperature does not exceed the critical temperature and ensures the specified tool life.