The performance of grooved turning tools under distinct cooling environments

Abstract

This work investigates the performance of modified tungsten carbide inserts when turning supermartensitic stainless steel with cutting fluid and/or air jet applied in two directions: either cutting fluid under high pressure or compressed air under low pressure supplied on the back of the chip (through a hole produced near the principal cutting edge), together with either cutting fluid or compressed air, both under low pressure, directed at the clearance face. Tool performance is evaluated by means of the principal cutting force, temperature distribution (using FEM), visual evaluation of the rake face, morphology of the chips and the quality of the machined surface. The findings indicate that the groove reduces the cutting force when dry cutting. Cutting fluid applied under low pressure at the clearance face is more efficient in decreasing both the cutting force and chip temperature than cutting fluid at high pressure supplied at the back of the chip. A chrome oxide layer is formed on the chip when air jet is applied, thus leading to an unfavorable cutting condition. The simultaneous application of cutting fluid under high pressure to reach the back of the chip and compressed air supplied through the clearance face provides the best surface quality.

Keywords:

• Cooling environment
• FEM analysis
• grooved tool
• supermartensitic stainless steel
• turning

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Program of the University de Minas Gerais and Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica Celso Suckow da Fonseca (CEFET/RJ). Additional thanks go to KAMPMANN do Brasil for the provision of the work material and PUC Minas for the use of microscopy facilities.

Disclosure statement

The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

The authors have no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.

All authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

The authors have no financial or proprietary interests in any material discussed in this article.

Additional information

Funding

This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) – Brazil – Finance Code 001.