High-Speed Machining of Titanium Alloys Using Indirect Cutting Tool Cooling

Creare proposes to develop a novel indirect cutting tool cooling system (ICTCS) that will enable the high-speed machining (HSM) of titanium alloys. Titanium aerospace components are notoriously expensive and difficult to machine. Currently, only light finishing cuts of titanium can be completed at high speed, with a correspondingly low material removal rate. This fact drives up the processing time and the cost of the finished titanium part, particularly for roughing operations. During the Phase I project, we demonstrated the feasibility of the system for titanium milling by improving the tool life by 200% and increasing the processing speed by 80% or more, compared to conventional flood cooling. We also demonstrated that our innovation produced a high-quality machined surface and a near-surface residual stress distribution equivalent to conventional cooling. We estimated that our cooling system would enable a multi-million dollar (~$50 million or more) cost savings for the V-22 Osprey program per year. During the Phase II project, we will focus on the improvement and transitioning of our technology to key partners. Our approach is intended to integrate with standard indexable or conventional carbide milling cutters; hence, it can be integrated with current manufacturing operations easily.