Lubrication in Cutting—Critical Review and Experiments with Restricted Contact Tools

The paper is concerned with the lubricating action of cutting fluids. In a critical reivew of the different theories for lubrication in cutting, three main approaches are discussed: 1. the assumption that lubrication in cutting is due to the presence of a soft film between the tool and the chip; 2. the theory that the lubricating effect of a cutting fluid consists in a physio-chemical reduction of the work material shear strength; 3. the theory describing cutting fluid action in term of a reduction of the length of contact between the tool and the chip. An investigation on lubrication in cutting carried out with tools with restricted contact is described.