Introduction of Internal Circulation-Based Cooling Methods and Green Coolants in Milling via Cutting Tool and Tooling Design

Abstract

This paper describes the process of the design and verification of a milling tool and tooling that may contribute to the renouncement of the flood cooling method when mineral oils and oil-in-water emulsions are used as coolants. The proposed solutions are based on the idea of coolant supply in internal channels created inside of a cutting tool. As an alternative to the aforementioned mineral oil-based coolants, liquids with higher cooling efficiency and environmental friendliness (green coolants) were considered. Given coolants’ possible lack of lubricating properties and negative (corrosive, etc.) influence on a machine tool’s units, tooling delivers these coolants to the cutting tool and bypasses the standard machine tool’s supply system. The geometry of the milling tool (a cutting insert with an internal channel) was tested in the framework of a stress simulation. To perform it, cutting force components Fz, Fy, and Fx were determined empirically and then applied to the simulated area of contact between the tool and the workpiece. Based on the obtained principal stress values P1, P2, and P3, the factor of safety was calculated with the Mohr–Coulomb, P1 max, and P3 min failure criteria. The proposed milling tool, equipped with a novel type of labyrinth seal with no friction between its components, was experimentally tested to confirm its ability to maintain leak-tightness at different values of spindle speed (200~2000 rpm) and coolant supply volume (1.0~10.0 L/min). Based on the results of the stress simulation and the leak-tightness experiment, conclusions were drawn about further modernization and utilization prospects of the proposed milling tool and tooling design.