Evaluation of carbide end mills with different cutting geometries in machining of a titanium alloy

Cutting tool geometry has a crucial effect on the machinability of hard-to-cut materials. These materials have low machinability mainly due to inherent properties such as high strength maintained at elevated temperatures and low thermal conductivity. In this study, Ti-6Al-4V is used as the workpiece material, and due to its low machinability, excessive tool wear, poor surface finish, and high cutting forces may arise. A comprehensive experimental study is performed to evaluate two different carbide end mills with different cutting edge geometries to demonstrate their effects on tool wear, surface roughness, and cutting forces. Furthermore, frequency response function (FRF) and modal parameters are extracted to evaluate their dynamic rigidity. Cutting tests are performed in chatter-free conditions to eliminate extreme tool wear, cutting forces, and surface roughness. The effects of the above-mentioned geometric properties of the tools on the cutting performance of Ti-6Al-4V are analyzed, and conclusions are drawn based on the experimental results.