Machining assistance techniques: impact on tool wear and surface integrity on aeronautic alloys

This article discusses the effect of machining assistance on the machinability and surface integrity of titanium and nickel-based alloys for turning operations. The presented results are based on a literature review of the principal experimental work published by the French research laboratories within the framework of the Manufacturing 21 group. The work presented focuses on the assistances the most studied by the research group: cryogenic assistance and high-pressure assistance. This paper specifically addresses the experimental approaches used to determine the effect of the assistant on the cutting force, tool wear, chip formation, microstructural changes, and residual stresses generated on the workpiece machined surface. This literature review is completed by new results comparing machining tests on the Ti6Al4V titanium alloy using high pressure and cryogenic assistances. The results show that the assistances increase the tool life, as well as improve the surface integrity of the parts. However, these gains are not identical from one material to another. In particular, titanium alloys and nickel alloys show how a very different gains for a fixed assistance. The conclusions presented highlight current trends and research needs.