Electrostatic high-velocity solid lubricant machining system for performance improvement of turning Ti–6Al–4V alloy

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In any machining operation, a major division of energy is converted into heat which creates detrimental effects on tool wear, tool life and surface quality of machined work material. Effective cooling/lubrication in the machining zone is essential to improve friction and temperatures by efficient heat dissipation which increases tool life and surface quality. But adverse health effects caused by use of flood cooling are drawing manufacturers’ attention to develop methods for controlling occupational exposure to cutting fluids. In demanding the improvement of productivity and product quality of machining, use of solid lubricant thin film was suggested as one of the necessary alternative machining techniques to apply lubricants effectively to the high-temperature zone. There is a general concern in the machining process in terms of applying lubricants effectively to the machining zone. Therefore, this research work contributes to the development of a novel approach to apply lubricants effectively to the rake face and flank face of the cutting tool without polluting the environment. Electrostatic high-velocity solid lubricant assisted machining is a novel technique used in the machining process with a very low flow rate (1–20 mL/h) to enhance the process performance of turning difficult-to-cut materials. The performance of electrostatic high-velocity solid lubricant technique is studied in comparison to minimum quantity solid lubricant, minimum quantity lubricant and dry and wet (flood cooling) to assess the performance considering surface roughness, cutting force and tool wear as performance indices. The experimental results revealed that electrostatic high-velocity solid lubricant with MoS2 solid lubricant at low volume and constant flow rate has observed high potential to apply lubricants effectively in the machining zone when compared with the considered environmental conditions. This work is expected to form a scientific basis toward developing electrostatic high-velocity solid lubricant technique for reducing the manufacturing impact in the machining of aerospace components such as Ti–6Al–4V alloy in terms of both machinability and environmental perspectives.