Abstract
This study investigated the influences of cutting speed and rake angle on the cutting characteristics of natural rubber experimentally in order to explore the applicability of high-speed cutting of natural rubber. The experimental results reveal that the apparent stiffness of natural rubber around the shear zone is raised by high-speed cutting. This is attributed to the increase in the viscous drag. Much higher cutting speed, however, deteriorates the accuracy of the machined shape, especially when the cutting speed exceeds 70 m/s. This can explain due to the development of the shock waves in the shear zone.
