Study Correlation Tool Wear Machining Parameters Focus Optimizating Wear Reduction

Lim, Qin Han (2026) Study Correlation Tool Wear Machining Parameters Focus Optimizating Wear Reduction. Final Year Project (Bachelor), Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

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Abstract

Toolwear is a critical factor influencing the efficiency, dimensional accuracy, surface integrity, and economic viability of machining operations, particularly when working with hard-to-machine materials such as stainless steels, titanium alloys, and STAVAX ESR tool steel. Machining parameters such as spindle speed, feed rate, depth of cut, and tool orientation strongly affect wear mechanisms including flank wear, crater wear, chipping, and eventual tool breakage. Excessive or uncontrolled wear not only shortens tool life but also degrades product quality and increases production cost. This study investigates the correlation between machining parameters and tool wear progression during milling operations of STAVAX stainless tool steel using coated carbide ball-nose end mills. A systematic statistical approach was applied combining polynomial regression, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the Taguchi method. Cubic regression models captured the non-linear progression of flank wear with distance, revealing inflection points between 240–320 m where steady wear transitioned into accelerated degradation. The Taguchi L9 orthogonal array provided an efficient test design, and S/N ratio analysis (smaller-the-better) identified feed rate as the most critical factor influencing tool wear, while spindle speed exerted a moderate influence. ANOVA confirmed this, showing feed rate contributed nearly 50% of the variability in wear, compared to 30.7% from spindle speed, though statistical significance at the 95% level was limited by the small sample size. The results showed that tool wear followed a cubic trend, with late-stage acceleration more prominent at mid-range spindle speeds (11,000 rpm). In contrast, low spindle speed with high feed (9000 rpm, 3000 mm/min) minimized wear progression, producing the smallest measured