Improving the performance of milling of titanium alloys using the atomization-based cutting fluid application system

The research presented in this paper investigates the effectiveness of the atomization-based cutting fluid (ACF) spray system in end-milling of titanium alloy, Ti–6Al–4V. To that end, the study has been conducted in two phases. In the first phase, experiments have been carried out to select suitable spray parameters. A numerical model of the ACF spray system has also been developed to gain a physics-based understanding of the cutting fluid film formation on a rotating tool surface and its role in providing cooling and lubrication at the cutting interface. In the second phase, experiments have been conducted to compare the machinability of titanium for different cutting fluid application methods, viz., dry cutting, flood cooling and ACF spray system, on the basis of five machinability parameters, including, tool life, tool wear, cutting forces, surface roughness and chip morphology. Experimental results show that the application of the ACF spray system results in uniform tool flank wear, lower cutting forces and higher surface finish and the tool life extends up to 75% over flood cooling. Additionally, chip morphology analysis reveals that using ACF spray system leads to the formation of shorter and thinner chips, as compared to those when flood cooling is used.