Novel methods for rapid assessment of tool performance in milling

The paper examines the effectiveness of two innovative techniques designed to rapidly optimize a milling application. One of them relates to quantifying the relative wear of different insert grades concurrently in a single cutting test, by mounting the inserts in the same cutter, for a quick comparative performance evaluation. Experimental results that illustrate the validity and limitation of this concept, and a scheme for enhancing the reliability of the test method are presented. The other technique refers to rapid identification of the optimum feed/tooth that corresponds to maximum tool life. This entails a test wherein individual inserts in the cutter are subject to feed/tooth that are multiples of a base value, by selectively leaving appropriate number of consecutive insert pockets unoccupied. These novel techniques complement known accelerated tool life tests, and are expedient for industries that engage short production runs, in terms of selecting a suitable insert grade for an application, and determining optimal cutting conditions for the selected grade. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.