Cutting tool reliability analysis for variable feed milling of 17-4PH stainless steel

Variable feed machining has recently been proposed as a significant method to improve cutting tool life particularly for hard and difficult to machine materials. This method, which is easy to apply in industry, has been shown to improve tool life in the order of 40% in certain cases. This paper presents a reliability model for the quantitative study of the effect of feed variation on tool wear and tool life. To better compare processes with two different wear modes, a reliability model taking simultaneously into account both flank and face wear has been developed. With this model, which is based on experiments, the tool life for the constant and variable feed cases was calculated from the reliability function. The mean time to failure, obtained from the reliability function, provides an accurate evaluation for any probabilistic distribution. The proposed method is therefore a general approach that can be used for analyzing cutting tool life under any conditions and for any equipment and material.