On the numerical modelling of machining processes via the Particle finite Element method (PFEM)

The main objective of this work is precisely to contribute to solve some of the problems described above through the extension of the Particle Finite Element Method (PFEM) to thermo-mechanical problems in solid mechanics which involve large strains and rotations, multiple contacts and generation of new surfaces, with the main focus in the numerical simulation of metal cutting process. In this work, we exploit the particle and lagrangian nature of PFEM and the advantages of finite element discretization to simulate the different chip shapes (continuous and serrated) that appear when cutting materials like steel and titanium at different cutting speeds. The new ingredients of PFEM are focused on the insertion and remotion of particles, the use of constrained Delaunay triangulation and a novel transfer operator of the internal variables.