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Abstract
The aim of this article is to study the influence of a Ti6Al4V microstructure on cutting forces during the micromilling process. Samples were annealed above the β-transus at three different temperatures—1020, 1050, 1080°C—and then cooled in a furnace, air, and water, in order to produce different Widmastätten microstructures. Micromilling tests were carried out on heat-treated samples, and the cutting forces were measured by means of a load cell. The results were correlated to the sample microstructures, which were thoroughly investigated by means of an optical microscope, X-ray diffraction, and microhardness measurements.
The highest cutting forces were observed for soft and ductile furnace-cooled samples, suggesting that the most important factor affecting workability is the material ductility, while hardness is a less relevant parameter.