Effect of cutting conditions on tool wear and wear mechanism in micro-milling of additively manufactured titanium alloy

This study investigated the effects of different cutting conditions, including dry, flooded, chilled air, and the minimum quantity lubrication (MQL), on cutting forces, burr width, tool wear, and surface roughness using constant cutting parameters. The results showed that the minimum cutting forces were obtained with MQL, while the cutting forces obtained with dry and chilled air were 97% and 80% higher, respectively. During dry cutting, the tool diameter decreased by 3.4%, whereas in MQL and flood cutting, the tool diameter reduction was 2.2%. The minimum corner and edge radius change were achieved in MQL-assisted cutting. At the beginning of the cutting process, the difference between the Sa values obtained for dry and flood cutting was more than 200%, while at the end of the cutting process, this difference was about 140%. It was observed that chilled air has a positive effect on surface roughness. There is an average difference of 21% in burr widths between up and down milling.