The correlation of surface roughness and tool edge condition under sustainable cryogenic machining

Abstract

This paper investigates the correlation between surface roughness of Inconel 718 and tool edge condition of ball nose inserts when milled at high speed. The cutting parameters were varied as follows; cutting speed: 120–140 m/min, feed rate: 0.15–0.25 mm/tooth, and axial depth of cut: 0.3–0.7 mm. For a sustainable machining approach, the experimental works were carried out under a smooth supply of cryogenic coolant which is a mix of liquid CO₂, gas CO₂, and compressed air. The experimental results revealed that the range of surface roughness obtained is from 0.114 to 0.197 µm. Along the cutting process, the tool wear patterns such as the abrasion, chipping, and the intermittent build-up-edge near the depth of cut cause the rapid increase of tool wear as well as the roughness of the machined surface with a significant correlation between them. However, the roughness was slowly reduced and became stable with the increase of notch wear. The finding could be used as a prediction reference for monitoring surface roughness and tool wear progress under cryogenic conditions. It also provides foundations for further research on machinability under this sustainable approach.