Abstract
In this paper the fundamental investigations are performed to measure the stresses at the cutting edge during metal cutting operation by using of the method of Caustics formed by reflected light ray from the metal surface. In standard method of Caustics the models made of the transparent material are used, but for the stress analysis in the cutting tool under the actual operating conditions it is needed to investigate the difference from using the transparent model by performing the experiments using the metallic model. Two dimensional problems are treated and the objects of study are half plane and wedge shaped plane loaded perpendicularly or obliquely. Specimens are made of aluminium plate of about 6 mm thickness. The Caustics patterns formed by the reflected light from the polished front surface were observed and those characteristics with the loading conditions are investigated in detail. On the other hand the computational patterns based on the optical theory are plotted. These two patterns are coincided accurately enough. Furthermore it was found that the presented results for the metallic specimens were similar to those of previous report for the transparent specimens under the same loading conditions.
