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Read a study that said flood coolant is actually worse for tool life on most jobs under 5 minutes run time
I was looking through some old CNC trade magazines my boss had in the break room, specifically a 2019 issue of Modern Machine Shop. There was a test where they ran 304 stainless with and without coolant on short cycle jobs, and the dry runs actually wore the inserts less. The article explained that the thermal shock from the coolant hitting the hot tool edge causes micro-cracking. I always thought more coolant meant longer tool life, but now I'm rethinking my setup. Has anyone else seen results like this from dry machining on short cycles?
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rubybarnes18d ago
Actually in that same magazine series they ran a follow up a few months later testing 4140 steel, and the coolant parts came out with 15 percent less edge wear across the board. Thermal shock is real on thin edges like ceramics, but on standard carbide inserts the flood helps flush away the chips that cause built up edge and rubbing wear. Those 5 minute job results probably depended more on the specific material and insert grade than a blanket rule about coolant being bad.
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