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Aluminum alloys 6061-T6 are widely utilized in the automotive, aerospace, and marine industries due to high corrosion resistance, high strength, and good workability and machinability. The machining performance of these alloys depends on several factors including tool's material, coating, and geometry. Cutting tool edge radius is one of the most effective factors in cutting forces, energy requirement, and chip formation during metal cutting. The present article aims to study the interactions between the cutting edge radius and cutting speed, feed rate, and rake angle and examine the impacts of the aforementioned tool geometry and cutting conditions on machining forces, cutting temperature, and chip thickness in cutting an aluminum alloy 6061-T6. Special attention is devoted to examining the influence of the cutting edge radius on machining variables and comparing the results of conventional machining (CM) and high speed machining (HSM). A finite element model was developed to simulate the above interactions and was experimentally validated for different machining parameters. The results demonstrate that although increasing the cutting edge radius clearly raises the machining forces, it has a slight influence on the chip thickness. It is also found that the maximum cutting temperatures remain nearly constant with changes in the tool edge radius, while the average temperatures of the tool tip increase especially in HSM. Furthermore, it was found that the location at which the maximum cutting temperature occurs depends more on cutting conditions and tool geometry than workpiece and tool materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the result of pulsating lubrication strategy (PLS), an alternative metalworking fluids approach to improve machining performance. The formation of built-up edge (BUE) and built-up layer (BUL) is among the problems encountered during the machining of aluminum alloy, which degrades cutting performance and thus affects the machined surface quality. This study focuses on chip removal effectiveness by jetting a coolant intermittently of PLS on the cutting tool to create a hydraulic shock. The water stream coolant was set to pulsate at 2000 pulse/min with the pressure of 0.76 MPa. Applying this method improves chip evacuation. Hence, minimizing the formation of BUE and BUL more effectively than dry cutting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]