A Novel Experimental Test Bench to Investigate the Effects of Cutting Fluids on the Frictional Conditions in Metal Cutting

The tribological effect of cutting fluids in the machining processes to reduce the friction in the cutting zone is still widely unknown. Most test benches and procedures do not represent the contact conditions of machining processes adequately, especially for interrupted contacts. This results in a lack of knowledge of the tribological behavior in machining processes. To close this knowledge gap, a novel experimental test bench to investigate the effects of cutting fluids on the frictional conditions in metal cutting under high-pressure cutting fluid supply was developed and utilized within this work. The results show that there is a difference between the frictional forces in interrupted contact compared to continuous contact. Furthermore, the cutting fluid parameters of supply pressure, volumetric flow rate, and impact point of the cutting fluid jet influence the frictional forces, the intensities of which depend on the workpiece material. In conclusion, the novel test bench allows examining the frictional behavior in interrupted cuts with an unprecedented precision, which contributes to a knowledge-based design of the cutting fluid supply for cutting tools.