The use of cutting fluids in industrial machining is widespread, while scientific research of the performance of cutting fluids lags far behind. While much has been learned about the beneficial mechanisms of tool-chip lubricity and heat transfer from varying fluid types and applications, an accurate, flexible, and expedient method for investigating cutting fluid performance lies beyond the scope of modern experimental methods. The system acquires cutting force measurements with a piezoelectric platform dynamometer, from which an effective kinetic coefficient of friction between the cutting insert and chip is calculated. Mechanical effectiveness of the cutting fluid is gauged by a reduction in coefficient of friction. The system's uniqueness lies both in its ability to obtain simultaneous and real-time data, and in its application of infrared imaging technology to metal cutting in the presence of cutting fluid.
Results indicate successful system performance and observable fluid effectiveness.