PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES IN PLUNGE MILLING: A REVIEW OF CURRENT PRACTICES AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20998/2078-7405.2024.101.05

Keywords:

Plunge milling, material removal, tool optimization, cutting tool coatings

Abstract

This review examines recent advancements and ongoing challenges in plunge milling. It is an increasingly utilised machining process renowned for its high material removal rates, particularly with hard-to-machine materials like hardened steels and titanium alloys. Plunge milling’s unique perpendicular tool path offers enhanced stability and reduced lateral cutting forces, making it valuable for applications that demand precision and efficiency, such as aerospace and automotive manufacturing. The paper systematically analyses and synthesises research on critical areas of plunge milling optimization, including tool geometry, material selection, coating technologies, and process parameters, highlighting strategies to mitigate common issues like rapid tool wear and chip evacuation difficulties. In this comprehensive overview, the review introduces theoretical and experimental findings on optimizing plunge milling tools and process parameters—such as cutting speed, feed rate, and coolant delivery—that are essential for improving performance and achieving desirable surface finishes. The paper also explores innovative trends, including AI-driven optimization algorithms and hybrid machining systems, which hold promise for addressing persistent limitations and enhancing plunge milling’s industrial applicability. By consolidating findings from recent studies, this review contributes to a deeper understanding of plunge milling’s role in high-precision manufacturing and identifies future research directions for advancing the process. The insights presented offer practical and strategic implications, aiming to guide ongoing developments in plunge milling technology and its adoption across various precision-oriented industries.

Author Biographies

Khattab Afraa, University of Miskolc, Hungary

PhD student, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Informatics, Institute of Manufacturing Science, University of Miskolc. Miskolc, Hungary. Research area: Additive processing.

Felhő Csaba , University of Miskolc, Hungary

PhD, Associate Professor, Director of the Institute of Production Science, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Informatics, University of Miskolc, Hungary. He graduated from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Miskolc, Faculty of Computer Engineering in 2001. Since 2002 he has been a departmental engineer at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and later a teacher of engineering. Since 2005 assistant professor. In 2014, he defended his Dr.-Ing. thesis "Investigation of surface roughness in machining by single and multi point tools" with magna cum laude at the Otto-von-Guericke University in Magdeburg, which was honoured with a PhD degree at the Sályi István Doctoral School of Mechanical Engineering in 2015. His fields of expertise are surface roughness analysis on machined surfaces, CAD/CAM systems.

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Published

2024-12-07

Issue

No. 101 (2024): Cutting and Tools in Technological Systems

Section

Mechanical processing of materials, the theory of cutting materials, mathematical and computer simulation of machining p

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