Cutting fluid efficiency in end milling of AISI 304-stainless steel

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the efficiency of cutting fluids when end milling AISI 304 stainless steels. Design/methodology/approach - Two groups of cutting tests were conducted, one with the application of a coolant (wet machining) and the other - without (dry cutting), using multilayer coated carbide inserts. The findings of tool life and tool wear mechanisms are compared. Findings - Coolant application proves to be efficient at low-cutting speeds. With increasing the cutting speed, the coolant effect on improving tool life becomes less significant. Built-up edge and nose wear are the dominant failure mechanisms in dry machining, while in wet machining, the dominant mechanisms are found to be notch wear and cutting edge grooving. Originalitylvalue - This paper provides useful information for manufacturing engineers dealing with end milling of stainless steel components. It helps select beneficial cutting conditions for dry and wet end milling operations.