Abstract: Cutting temperature is the important factor which directly affects the cutting tool wear, workpiece surface integrity and machining precision in high speed machining. A finite element method is presented to simulate the temperature distribution in the tool-work interface. The workpiece in high speed milling is thin-walled aluminum alloy. The effects of cutting speed and feedrate are taken into account in milling process control, It is found that the results of simulation are in agreement with the experimental measuring values acquired by using infrared thermal instrument and thermal couple tests. Finally, a conclusion that there is a quadratic phenomena of varying temperature at the tool-work interface with the increase of cutting speed is drawn, This conclusion is important to develop the optimal technoiogies in high speed milling the thin-walled aluminum workpiece.

Key words: Aluminum alloy, Finite element method High speed miHing Cutting temperature