Cost evaluation on performance of a PVD coated cutting tool during end-milling of Inconel 718 under MQL conditions

Abstract

Interest is currently being focused on promoting environmentally friendly manufacturing without sacrificing productivity by utilising a minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) as a biodegradable coolant in the end-milling of Inconel 718. This study was carried out to compare the costs of applying machining and lubrication to the end-milling process at various cutting conditions. The high-speed cutting of Inconel 718 was performed using response surface methodology, and the optimisation conditions of the physical vapour deposition TiAlN/AlCrN-coated carbide tool consumption and the MQL were evaluated according to the performance of the tool, i.e. machining time and material removed. In addition, the number of cutting tool edges was taken into consideration when calculating the machining cost. The machining performance at maximum tool life, the minimum surface roughness and force were compared with the optimum conditions, and the results showed that the application of MQL and the use of a ball nose end mill under optimum conditions are competitive. The multi-objective optimisation of cutting parameters, with regard to the criteria for the maximum material removed (9.029 cm³) and the lowest total cost (US $ 0.11 cm⁻³), provided a combination of parameters that met the requirements for green manufacturing, i.e. by reducing the usage of cutting tools and the consumption of lubrication.

Keywords:

• PVD coating
• TiAlN/AlCrN
• End-milling
• Machining cost
• Inconel 718
• Minimum quantity lubrication (MQL)
• Multi-objective optimisation
• High-speed milling

Acknowledgements

This research would not have been possible without the technical and financial support of the CRIM Division of Universiti Kebangsaan. This research is supported by the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia under project No. UKM-GUP-BTT-07-25-171 and FRGS/2/2014/TK01/UTEM/03/2. Special thanks to TMAC of Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka and the University of Tokushima, Japan for providing the facilities for the preparation of this manuscript. This paper is based on a presentation accepted for and given at MITC 2015, Penang, Malaysia, 16–17 November, 2015.

ORCiD

M. S. Kasim http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8483-8227

C. H. Che Haron http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4062-7831

J. A. Ghani http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4743-5007

M. A. Hadi http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9390-3062

R. Izamshah http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1985-6736

T. J. S. Anand http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1918-5589

S. B. Mohamed http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7596-9340