Effect of tool lead angle and chip formation mode on dust emission in dry cutting

Dry machining and high speed machining are increasingly attempted because of their impact on manufacturing cost. However, these processes generate dust that can be harmful. Environmental regulations require that manufacturers reduce manufacturing hazards, hence the need to develop environmentally conscious processes and cutting strategies that will help them to achieve that goal. This work investigates the turning of the 6061-T6 aluminium alloy, and 1018 and 4140 steels, using carbide cutting tools. The cutting tool geometry and the cutting speed are varied and their effect on dust formation and chip formation studied. The size of the dust particle investigated is 2.5 μm and under (PM2.5). A new dust unit, which can be used as an ecological factor, is introduced to compare the dust emissivity of the tested materials. This dust unit is then related to the cutting conditions, and experimental models are developed. A correlation is established between the chip formation, the tool lead angle, the cutting speed, and the dust emission, in order to determine the conditions required for minimal dust emission.