Opportunities and Challenges in Modelling of Machining Performance with Various Coatings and Lubricants in Inconel 718 Machining

Abstract

Decades of research and industrial applications have shown the significant impact of tool coatings and lubricants on machining performance, particularly in difficult-to-cut materials such as nickel-based super alloy Inconel 718. However, the ability to quantify and optimize the beneficial effects of coatings and lubricants continues to be primarily driven by empirical approaches. In this paper, a comparison between experimentally measured tool wear and numerically modelled process metrics, such as temperatures and stresses, is presented. Based on the results and observed deviations, future directions for more industrially relevant cutting tool development are proposed. Major challenges include the need for physics-based tribological models that consider different process interactions as well as microstructural and geometric size effects.