Comparative assessment of cooling conditions, including MQL technology on machining factors in an environmentally friendly approach

Manufacturers need to continuously improve productivity and reduce the most disadvantages. In the current work, an experimental study has been carried out in order to evaluate the influence of different cutting parameters on the various machining factors such as surface roughness, cutting force, cutting power, metal removal rate, and tool wear during turning of X210Cr12 steel using a multilayer-coated tungsten carbide insert with various nose radii (r). Tests are designed according to Taguchi’s L18 (21 × 34) orthogonal array. ANOVA has been performed to determine the effect of the cutting conditions, and mathematical models have been developed through response surface methodology (RSM). The results indicate that the feed rate and the tool nose radius are the main affecting factors on surface roughness while both tangential force and cutting power are affected mainly by the depth of cut followed by the feed rate and the nose radius. Other special tests of long term have been established in order to study the wear evolution and consequently to determine the tool life. The results indicate also that minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) leads to an important improvement in terms of the cutting tool life by a gain of 23~40% compared to wet and dry machining. It has been found that the MQL is an interesting way to minimize lubrication cost and protect operator health and the environment while keeping better machining quality.