Investigating Cutting Forces During Hard Turning of EN 24 Steel: A Comparative Evaluation of MQL and Dry Cutting

The right tool material, tool shape, and cutting parameters may all be selected with the use of cutting force knowledge throughout the machining process. Cutting forces have a substantial impact on machine performance, tool life, and machining precision, thus both machine tool designers and users are interested in understanding them in advance. Additionally, understanding cutting forces allows for optimization of machining processes, leading to improved productivity and cost-effectiveness. Moreover, accurate knowledge of cutting forces enables the identification and mitigation of potential issues such as tool wear, chatter, and excessive heat generation. This study employs mathematical modeling to evaluate the cutting forces of EN 24 steel during hard turning under dry and minimum quantity lubrication conditions. Marginally higher cutting forces were recorded with MQL compared to dry-hard turning. Cutting forces were observed to decrease with the cutting speed and increase with the feed and depth of cut. The created models’ R-squared value, which was found to be near 0.9, indicates that the model could be utilized with reliability to forecast three components of cutting force during hard turning, provided that the workpiece and tool combination were chosen within the domain of the cutting parameters used for this study. However, this effect was more prominent in dry-hard turning. This study finds a scope for numerical modeling of cutting forces during hard turning using different cooling techniques.