How to deal with difficult-to-machine materials? Cooling technology can help!

Author: Duan Yuechu

Introduction: In modern manufacturing, the processing of difficult-to-machine materials has always been a challenging problem. Studies have shown that increased tool tip temperature is one of the main reasons for short tool life. This article will introduce how to reduce tool tip temperature through cooling technology and improve the processing efficiency of difficult-to-machine materials.

1. The influence of tool tip temperature on tool life and processing quality

During the machining of difficult-to-machine materials, the friction between the tool and the workpiece generates a lot of heat, which can cause adhesive wear and diffusion wear on the rake face and side of the tool, accelerate thermoplastic deformation, and thus reduce the tool life and machining accuracy.

2. Application of cooling technology in reducing tool tip temperature

In order to reduce the tool tip temperature, improve tool life and machining quality, people cut with coolant supplied. The traditional coolant supply method only effectively cools the area around the cutting area at low pressure. When higher cutting heat is generated, the fluid evaporates to form a high-temperature vapor barrier, and most of the supplied fluid does not penetrate into the area near the cutting area.

3. Advantages of high pressure coolant

In recent years, high-pressure coolant technology has been gradually applied to the processing of difficult-to-process materials. High-pressure coolant can overcome the defects of traditional coolant supply methods, effectively reduce tool tip temperature, reduce tool wear, and improve processing quality.

4. Effect of Ultrahigh Pressure Coolant (UHPC) on Tool Wear and Processing Quality

In this study, the authors designed an end mill prototype with internal coolant nozzles (front and rear face) and performed CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulations to find out a relatively effective coolant supply method in which the coolant mainly penetrates into the cutting zone of the rear face. The experimental results show that the use of ultra-high pressure coolant (UHPC) can significantly reduce tool wear and improve the roughness of the workpiece material.

V. Conclusion

By using high-pressure coolant and ultra-high-pressure coolant (UHPC), the tool tip temperature during the processing of difficult-to-process materials can be effectively reduced, tool life can be extended, and processing quality can be improved. This provides a new technical means for the modern manufacturing industry to process difficult-to-process materials, and has broad application prospects.

In the future, we will continue to study the application of cooling technology in the processing of difficult-to-process materials and look for more efficient and environmentally friendly cooling methods to promote the sustainable development of the manufacturing industry.

References:

A Study on Prototype of End Mill for Ultra-High Pressure Coolant Supplying from Flank Surface Side Using Fluid Simulation | Scientific.Net

https://www.scientific.net/AST.139.3