A Study of the Micro-End Milling of Titanium Alloy

Abstract

This study deals with the cutting characteristics of titanium materials when milled by a small-diameter end mill, or a micro end mill. It is well known that titanium is difficult to cut by conventional means. However, its cutting characteristics have not yet been made sufficiently clear in cases where a micro end mill less than 1 mm in diameter is used. This study chiefly involves the experimental investigation of tool wear and surface roughness of micro-end milling of Ti-6Al-4V. The findings were that tool wear did not increase much when the cutting speed was increased from 50 m/min to 200 m/min. Furthermore, the cutting force required to cut decreased at high speeds and during wet cutting. In wet cutting, the surface had a roughness (Rz) of only 0.3 μm at 200 m/min in contrast to 0.6 μm at 50 m/min.