Evaluating the effect of coolant pressure and flow rate on tool wear and tool life in the steel turning operation

High-pressure coolant (HPC) delivery is an emerging technology that delivers a high-pressure fluid to the tool and workpiece in machining processes. High fluid pressure allows for better penetration of the fluid into the cutting zone, enhancing the cooling effect, and decreasing tool wear through lubrication of the contact areas. The main objective of this work is to understand how tool wear mechanisms are influenced by fluid pressure under different cutting speeds in the finish turning of AISI 1045 steel using coated carbide tools. The main finding was that the use of a lower cutting speed (v _c ?=?490 m/min) in dry cutting resulted in tool life close to that obtained with cutting fluid, but when the cutting speed was increased (v _c ?=?570 m/min), the high-pressure coolant was effective in prolonging the life of the cutting tool. It was also concluded that, regardless of the cutting speed and cooling/lubrication system, the wear mechanisms were the same, namely abrasion and attrition.