Thermal analysis of a proposed internally cooled machining tool system

Due to the increase in environmental degradation, industries are forced to work with less harmful manufacturing means. In machining, it is known that one of the best ways to preserve cutting tool life is by using cutting fluids. However, even if this component proves to be effective, its use is still questionable because it strongly contributes to environmental degradation. For many years, several researchers have been looking for new ways to minimize this problem or even eliminate the use of cutting fluids, including the application of coatings in the cutting tool, more ecological coolants or alternative cooling methods. This work presents a thermal study of a proposed cooling technique for machining based on a cutting tool and tool holders designed with internal cooling channels, where a fluid circulates in a closed cycle called internally cooled tool (ICT). It studies the effect that the ICT technique has on the machining temperatures. This proposal can be considered ecologically less harmful because it saves the use of cutting fluids. To investigate the behavior of the system, gray iron was machined using the ICT made of cemented carbide. The response variable was the temperatures generated during cutting, measured by the tool-workpiece thermocouple system and welded thermocouple methods. Input parameters were the cutting speed and machining atmosphere conditions (dry, ICT using water at room temperature and ICT using chilled water). The ICTs reduced up to 21.52% of the temperature at the chip-tool interface compared to the dry machining process and showed a significant impact on the thermal gradients in the cutting tool and tool holder.