Surface Integrity and Machining Mechanism of Al 7050 Induced by Multi-Physical Field Coupling in High-Speed Machining

Improving the surface quality and controlling the microstructure evolution of difficult-to-cut materials are always challenges in high-speed machining (HSM). In this paper, surface topography, defects and roughness are assessed to characterize the surface features of 7050 aluminum alloy (Al 7050) under HSM conditions characterized by high temperature, strain and strain rate. Based on multi-physical field coupling, the mechanism of microstructure evolution of Al 7050 is investigated in HSM. The results indicate that the surface morphology and roughness of Al7050 during HSM are optimal at <i>f_z</i> = 0.025 mm/z, and the formation of surface defects (adherent chips, cavities, microcracks, material compression and tearing) in HSM is mainly affected by thermo-mechanical coupling. Significant differences are observed in the microstructure of different machined subsurfaces by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technology, and high cutting speeds and high feed rates contributed to recrystallization. The crystallographic texture types on machined subsurface are mainly {110}<112> Brass texture, {001}<100> Cube texture, {123}<634> S texture and {124}<112> R texture, and the crystallographic texture type and intensity are significantly affected by multi-physical field coupling. The elastic–plastic deformation and microstructural evolution of Al7050 alloy during the HSM process are mainly influenced by the coupling effects of multiple physical fields (stress–strain field and thermo-mechanical coupling field). This study reveals the internal mechanism of multi-physical field coupling in HSM and provides valuable enlightenment for the control of microstructure evolution of difficult-to-cut materials in HSM.