Tool Life Management in Machining: When to Change and How to Extend
Why Manage Tool Life
Wear causes size drift, worse finish, bigger burrs and even broken edges. Tool life management is the base of stable production.
Wear Forms
- Flank wear: Normal - replace when VB exceeds limit
- Crater wear: Rake face pit - too hot
- Chipping: Impact on brittle tools - feed or rigidity issue
- BUE: Built-up edge - poor finish
Change Timing
- By part count (most common)
- By time (continuous)
- By finish and size trend
- By sound and chip color
Extending Life
- Tune speed, feed and depth
- Flood coolant
- Rigid setup
- Right grade and coating (TiAlN for steel)
Huami Practice
Tool life logs per machine and first-piece inspection after every change keep sizes stable.