The effect of thermal contact resistance on the temperature distribution in a WC made cutting tool

The temperature of a cutting tool during machining process has a direct effect on its lifespan. Manufacturing the tool from materials with high thermal conductivities or cooling the tool during the machining is common ways to avoid the cutting tool overheating. The thermal resistance between assembled parts of a cutting tool is a very important factor, which plays a significant role in the temperature of a cutting tool. In the present work, the effect of thermal resistance between cutting tool and its supports on the temperature of a cutting tool is investigated numerically. The governing equations are solved by COMSOL Multiphysics software to obtain the unsteady temperature distribution and especially the maximum temperature. The cutting device consists of the tool, the shim, and the holder. The tool and the shim are made of WC while the holder is manufactured from AISI 1045 carbon steel. The gap between the assembled parts are filled with four different materials including air, aluminum (Al) foil, copper (Cu) foil, and silicone oil, and the results are compared with the case that there is no thermal resistance between these parts (zero resistance). The case of using air, as a gap filling material, showed the highest maximum temperature. This is attributed to higher thermal resistance of air which prevents proper heat dissipation through the all parts of cutting device. Using copper and aluminum foils considerably decrease the tool maximum temperature and give results close to the case of zero thermal resistance.