Sustainable Machining: Tool Life Criterion Based on Work Surface Quality

Abstract

Extending the use of a component without compromising its intended functionality is the neatest approach to enhance sustainability. From this perspective, limiting the working life of a cutting tool based merely on the blunting of its cutting edge to a specific value is highly questionable. The very question that serves as the motivation for this work is, “why should tool life criterion be based on the shape of the tool when all that matters for business is the quality of the part being machined?”. This work puts forward a tool life criterion based on the surface quality of the machined part. The proof of the concept is provided by a series of face-turning experiments performed on a commonly used alloy steel using the following cutting inserts in dry conditions: (1) uncoated carbide; (2) coated carbide; and (3) cubic boron nitride (CBN). It is found that different combinations of tooling and cutting parameters lead to entirely different values of surface roughness at the same level of flank wear, thus raising the possibility of extending the working life of the tools. Overall, the CBN inserts yielded the longest tool life values, especially at high levels of cutting speed. Being more economical in respect of acquisition cost than the CBN inserts and more effective than the uncoated carbide inserts regarding tool life, the coated carbide inserts came out as the most sustainable tooling option. Finally, it is concluded that a tool life criterion based on work surface roughness can yield longer tool life values and make the machining process more sustainable. For the experimental work reported herein, the surface-quality based tool life criterion yielded on average 23% longer tool life. The presented work is novel as it presents a new approach to extend the working life of cutting tools without compromising the other sustainability measures. The outcomes are expected to find applicability in all sectors of the metal cutting industry, which are striving for elongations in tool life and improvements in work surface quality.

Preparation and cutting performance study of YSZ-toughened PcBN superhard tools

“…The degree of wear on the flank surface of the tool was measured using an optical microscope and the PcBN tool was identified as having failed when the average wear on the flank surface of cutting tool reached 0.3 mm. 29 The tool life of PCBN was characterized by counting the total cutting length at the time of tool failure.…”

A Review of the Factors Influencing Surface Roughness in Machining and Their Impact on Sustainability

“…The research trend states that there is a growing interest in exploring lubrication strategies with nanofluid or nanoparticle-assisted minimum quantity lubrication [25][26][27][28] and vegetable oil-based fluid [29] or mitigating carbon footprint while improving surface characteristics, among other eco-friendly green approaches [30]. Other trends include integrating cutting-edge preparations in cutting tool development [31] using different combinations of substrate and coating materials [32], and incorporating ultrasonic vibration into machining strategies [33], among others. Nevertheless, if one is focused on finishing operations in milling and turning operations, there exist many decision variables that can improve sustainability.…”

Coupling Taguchi Experimental Designs with Deep Adaptive Learning Enhanced Artificial Intelligence Process Models: A Novel Case in Promising Experimental Cost Savings Possibilities in Manufacturing Process Development

“…Iqbal et. al., stress on increasing the tool life and hence reducing the production cost for sustainable and responsible machining practices [22]. Resulting workpiece surface finish is another important factor and can be considered as a performance parameter in dry machining process due to its direct relation with product quality.…”