Tool wear and surface integrity analysis of austenitic stainless-steel machining with variable-length restricted contact tools at large depth of cut

Austenitic stainless steels face multiple challenges during machining, including poor workability, severe tool wear, and unfavorable surface quality. Considering the machining issues resulting from poor tool-chip contact conditions, novel restricted contact tools with variable tool-chip contact lengths were developed to enhance machining performance. In this study, a systematic analysis was conducted to investigate the impact of variable tool-chip contact lengths on tool wear and surface integrity during the wet machining of 316L austenitic stainless-steel. The results demonstrated a significant improvement in tribological characteristics, tool life, and surface integrity when developed restricted contact tools were applied. Compared with conventional restricted contact tools, the machining force, friction, tool wear, surface roughness, microhardness, and residual stress were reduced. The insights obtained from this investigation present an effective cutting method for austenitic stainless steels and offer a rationale for tool design and the achievement of high surface quality when machining hard-to-cut materials.