Abstract: The nanometric cutting process of the single crystal copper was simulated by the quasi-continuum multi-scale method. The diagrams of atomic positions and stress distributions were used to describe the local deformation in the nanometric cutting process to get the response curve of the cutting force versus cutting distance in the process. The atomic details of material deformation, material removal and internal damage in the process were analyzed microscopically. According to the simulation results, the dislocation nucleation, the evolution process, the vanishment of dislocations, the formations of cutting chips and newly generated surfaces were analyzed deeply in atomic level. The fluctuations of cutting force and strain energy were explained by evolution of dislocation movement. It was concluded that the compression in cutting zone ahead of cutting edge in the nanometric cutting process led to dislocation nucleation, and the removal of plastic material in the process resulted from the evolution of dislocations.

Key words: applied mechanics, single crystal copper, nanometric cutting, quasi-continuum method, cutting force, strain energy, dislocation evolution