Some cutting experiments were carried out to investigate the influences of different cooling and lubrication methods on the milling process of titanium alloy with carbide tools. These experiments were conducted under the conditions of flood cutting (WET)

dry cutting (DRY)

minimum quantity lubrication (MQL)

cooling air cutting (CA) and minimum quantity lubrication with cooling air (MQL–CA). The influences of different lubrication methods were evaluated by the following standards which included the shape and the color of chips

cutting forces

surface roughness and tool wear. The results showed that MQL obtained the lowest cutting force along with the best surface quality and the best surface quality stability but only a medium tool wear among all the ways; CA cutting gathered higher cutting force with only a slight tool wear up to 0.008mm. The surface quality surface quality stability of working piece were also the worst by this way. As far as MQL–CA cutting

all the key elements listed above were in the middle level. To summary

MQL was more suitable for finish machining. CA was better for rough machining and the three ways of cooling and lubrication were superior to the traditional flood cutting or dry cutting

and could be popularized and applied in the production of titanium alloy milling.