Simulative analysis of the influence of cutting fluids on the machining process

• Applicants: Dr. Jörg Kuhnert; Professor Dr.-Ing. Eckart Uhlmann
• Subject Area: Metal-Cutting and Abrasive Manufacturing Engineering ; Mathematics
• Term: from 2018 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 403835841

The main functions of cutting fluids in machining processes are the cooling of the cutting tool, the workpiece and the machine tool components, the lubrication of the contact surfaces between workpiece and cutting material as well as the support of the chip removal. The application of a cutting fluid often leads to a significant retardation of the tool wear evolution by the reduction of thermo-mechanical tool loads. For the economical and ecological use of cutting fluids a precise set-up of all process parameters is necessary. The knowledge about the relationships between the process parameters and the resulting tool loads are essential for this purpose. However, their experimental determination is very difficult as e.g. the cutting fluid impedes the use of measurement systems. The numerical cutting simulation is predestined for such a task, but the thermo-mechanical loads can only be determined for machining processes without cutting fluids up to now. There is no simulation system which allows the thermally coupled calculation of the chip formation process and the flow of the cutting fluid in the chip formation zone. Such a model is required in order to accurately analyze the influence of the cutting fluid on the machining process and to support tool and process developments. Therefore, the aim of this research project is the simulative analysis of turning processes with cutting fluids. The cooling and lubrication strategies conventional flood cooling and minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) will be investigated. For this purpose, a software tool will be developed which allows the simulation of the influence of the cutting fluid on the thermo-mechanical tool loads as well as the chip formation process. The Finite Pointset Method will be used as simulation method due to its meshfree approach which provides the required flexibility for the mapping of free surfaces.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants