📋 Case Study

Aerospace Titanium Alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) Milling Optimization

Excessive tool wear and poor surface integrity due to low thermal conductivity and work hardening

🏗️ Project Overview

High-precision wing spar machining for commercial aircraft

🎯 Challenge

Excessive tool wear and poor surface integrity due to low thermal conductivity and work hardening

🔧 Design Approach

Reduced cutting speed with high feed rate, optimized stepover, and cryogenic CO₂ cooling

📐 Design Diagram

• Work hardening
• Excessive tool wearDesign Approach• v↓ f↑• Stepover: 0.4×D• Cryo CO₂ coolingKey Metrics• n = 0.125 (Taylor)• v·f·aₚ = 1200mm³/minCryogenic CO₂ Cooling SystemNozzleTi-6Al-4VWorkpieceCarbideEnd Mill

AI-generated project design illustration

📐 Key Calculations

Taylor’s n exponent for Ti-6Al-4V

n = log(t₁/t₂)/log(v₂/v₁)

Result: 0.125

Indicates extreme sensitivity to speed changes

Thermal load index

v × f × ap

Result: 1200 mm³/min

Kept below threshold to limit interface temp

📊 Results

Tool life increased from 8 to 42 minutes; surface roughness improved from Ra 3.2 to Ra 0.8 µm; scrap reduced by 22%

💡 Lessons Learned

• •Lower v and higher f improves heat dissipation into chip
• •Cryogenic cooling extends carbide life >3× vs. flood coolant

✅ Key Takeaways

• 1Lower v and higher f improves heat dissipation into chip
• 2Cryogenic cooling extends carbide life >3× vs. flood coolant