The biomimetic hierarchical micro-groove textured tool for enhancing lubrication and cooling

Machining requirements for difficult-to-machine materials, such as titanium alloys are becoming increasingly demanding in the aerospace engineering industry. However, in ultra-precision high-speed machining of titanium alloys, the tool-chip contact interface experiences high temperature and pressure conditions, leading to significant tool wear and suboptimal surface finish. Therefore, effective lubrication and cooling are imperative for titanium alloy machining operations. Inspired by the spontaneous water transport of the hierarchical structure of Sarracenia trichome, we proposed the biomimetic wedge hierarchical micro-groove (WHG) textured tool. The WHG tools could facilitate the spontaneous transport of the cutting fluid to the tool-chip contact area, thereby improving the lubrication and cooling states during the titanium alloy cutting process. The experimental results indicated that the WHG effectively reduced tool wear and improved cutting performance. Compared with the non-textured tools, the average reduction in the main cutting force was 15.9 %, and the average reduction in the friction coefficient was 24 %. Additionally, the average reduction in cutting temperature reached 48 %. Therefore, we envision that our WHG tool will play an important role in the ultra-precision cutting of titanium alloy components. © 2025 The Society of Manufacturing Engineers.