Effects of cutting speed and milling method on cutting forces, tool wear, tool life, and surface roughness in high-speed shell milling of Inconel 718 with coated carbide insert under emulsion flood cooling strategy

Abstract

Inconel 718 use in aerospace and nuclear industries has gained wide interest due to the need to improve its machinability. This paper presents the results of experimental investigation of the effects of face milling methods and cutting speed on machinability of Inconel 718 with carbide inserts under conventional emulsion flood-cooling strategy (CEF-CS) as a benchmark for comparing alternative vegetable-oil-based MQL cooling strategy (VO-MQL-CS). The machinability parameters investigated are cutting force components, tool wear, burr formation, surface roughness, and tool life, under up and down-milling at cutting speeds of 30, 40, and 50 m/min and constant chip load. Lower cutting forces, tool wear, burr formation, surface roughness, and significant improvement in tool life and volume of material removed are achieved in down-milling over up-milling by 1,677%, 2,150% and 1,004% at 30, 40, and 50 m/min respectively. Down-milling at 40 m/min cutting speed under CEF-CS with coated carbide inserts is recommended as benchmark.