Modeling and Analysis of the Cutting Force Components in the Hard Milling of Hardened Cr12MoV Steel

Huy Trieu Quy

doi:10.48084/etasr.17456

Authors

Huy Trieu Quy University of Economics and Technology for Industries, Vinh Tuy Ward, Hanoi, Vietnam

Volume: 16 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 34824-34829 | June 2026 | https://doi.org/10.48084/etasr.17456

Received: 10 January 2026 | Revised: 25 February 2026 and 18 March 2026 | Accepted: 19 March 2026 | Online: 1 June 2026

Corresponding author: Huy Trieu Quy

Abstract

In the tough milling of hardened tool steels, cutting forces significantly affect process stability, tool wear, and spindle load. This study experimentally explores the orthogonal cutting force components (F_x, F_y, F_z) during hard milling of hardened Cr12MoV steel (48-52 HRC) using TiAlN-coated carbide inserts. Central Composite Design (CCD) combined with Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to model the effects of cutting speed and feed rate. Second-order regression models were created and statistically validated with Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The results show that cutting speed decreases forces mainly due to thermal softening, while feed rate raises forces mainly because of increased chip thickness. Among the components, Fy is the most sensitive to dynamic excitation. Based on these models, a stable cutting window is proposed for industrial use. The findings offer a dependable empirical basis for force prediction and the safe selection of parameters in finish hard milling of Cr12MoV die steel.

Keywords:

hard milling, cutting force, Cr12MoV, CCD, RSM, TiAlN tool

References

H. K. Tönshoff, C. Arendt, and R. B. Amor, "Cutting of Hardened Steel," CIRP Annals, vol. 49, no. 2, pp. 547–566, Jan. 2000.

W. Grzesik, "Machining of Hard Materials," in Machining: Fundamentals and Recent Advances, J. P. Davim, Ed. London: Springer, 2008, pp. 97–126.

H. Schulz and T. Moriwaki, "High-speed Machining," CIRP Annals, vol. 41, no. 2, pp. 637–643, Jan. 1992.

W. A. Kline, R. E. DeVor, and J. R. Lindberg, "The prediction of cutting forces in end milling with application to cornering cuts," International Journal of Machine Tool Design and Research, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 7–22, Jan. 1982.

N. D. Sims, B. Mann, and S. Huyanan, "Analytical prediction of chatter stability for variable pitch and variable helix milling tools," Journal of Sound and Vibration, vol. 317, no. 3, pp. 664–686, Nov. 2008.

P. Lee and Y. Altintaş, "Prediction of ball-end milling forces from orthogonal cutting data," International Journal of Machine Tools and Manufacture, vol. 36, no. 9, pp. 1059–1072, Sept. 1996.

Y. Altintaş and E. Budak, "Analytical Prediction of Stability Lobes in Milling," CIRP Annals, vol. 44, no. 1, pp. 357–362, Jan. 1995.

E. Budak and Y. Altintas¸, "Analytical Prediction of Chatter Stability in Milling—Part I: General Formulation," Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement, and Control, vol. 120, no. 1, pp. 22–30, Mar. 1998.

E. Budak and Y. Altintas¸, "Analytical Prediction of Chatter Stability in Milling—Part II: Application of the General Formulation to Common Milling Systems," Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement, and Control, vol. 120, no. 1, pp. 31–36, Mar. 1998.

V. F. C. Sousa, F. J. G. D. Silva, G. F. Pinto, A. Baptista, and R. Alexandre, "Characteristics and Wear Mechanisms of TiAlN-Based Coatings for Machining Applications: A Comprehensive Review," Metals, vol. 11, no. 2, Feb. 2021.

C. Y. Wang, Y. X. Xie, Z. Qin, H. S. Lin, Y. H. Yuan, and Q. M. Wang, "Wear and breakage of TiAlN- and TiSiN-coated carbide tools during high-speed milling of hardened steel," Wear, vol. 336–337, pp. 29–42, Aug. 2015.

S. Wu, G. Liu, W. Zhang, W. Chen, and C. Wang, "High-speed milling of hardened steel under minimal quantity lubrication with liquid nitrogen," Journal of Manufacturing Processes, vol. 95, pp. 351–368, June 2023.

F. Sun, G. Li, Q. Zhang, and M. Liu, "Research on High-speed Cutting of Cr12MoV Hardened Steel - A Review," Recent Patents on Engineering, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 47–58, Jan. 2022.

J. Ma, X. L. Liu, C. X. Yue, F. Liu, and G. Y. Wang, "Characteristic Study of Milling Force in Cut-In Process of Hard Milling Die Steel," Key Engineering Materials, vol. 589–590, pp. 147–151, 2014.

G. E. P. Box and K. B. Wilson, "On the Experimental Attainment of Optimum Conditions," in Breakthroughs in Statistics: Methodology and Distribution, S. Kotz and N. L. Johnson, Eds. New York, NY: Springer, 1992, pp. 270–310.

R. D. Patel and S. N. Bhavsar, "Experimental investigation during end milling of AISI D2 tool steel using AlCrN coated tool," Materials Today: Proceedings, vol. 22, pp. 2647–2656, Jan. 2020.

C. Sukkam and S. Chaijit, "Investigation of Influencing Factors on Surface Quality during Low-Speed Cutting of Steels with a Hardness exceeding 50 HRC for forging Dies," Engineering, Technology & Applied Science Research, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 14056–14061, June 2024.

D. A. Efa, "Laser Beam Welding Parametric Optimization for AZ31B and 6061-T6 Alloys: Residual Stress and Temperature Analysis Using a CCD, GA and ANN," Optics & Laser Technology, vol. 175, Aug. 2024, Art. no. 110837.

D. A. Efa, "Enhancing the efficiency of laser beam welding: multi-objective parametric optimization of dissimilar materials using finite element analysis," The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, vol. 133, no. 9, pp. 4525–4541, Aug. 2024.

D. A. Efa and D. A. Ifa, "Optimization of design parameters and 3D-printing orientation to enhance the efficiency of topology-optimized components in additive manufacturing," Results in Materials, vol. 26, June 2025, Art. no. 100702.

L. D. Gemechu, D. A. Efa, and R. Abebe, "Optimizing CNC turning of AISI D3 tool steel using Al₂O₃/graphene nanofluid and machine learning algorithms," Heliyon, vol. 10, no. 24, Dec. 2024.

D. A. Efa, N. D. Dejene, D. A. Ifa, S. K. Nemomsa, and T. B. Gemechu, "Improving computer numerical control (CNC) turning performance of AISI D2 steel with nanofluid composites and advanced machine learning techniques," The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, vol. 138, no. 2, pp. 511–539, May 2025.

D. A. Ifa, D. A. Efa, N. D. Dejene, and S. K. Nemomsa, "Physics-informed modeling and process optimization of friction stir welding of AA7075-T6 with a zinc interlayer," Next Materials, vol. 9, Oct. 2025, Art. no. 100999.

D. A. Efa, D. A. Ifa, N. D. Dejene, H. Z. Belachew, and D. F. Tegegn, "Sol–gel and co-precipitation synthesized hybrid nanofluids for enhanced CNC turning of AISI 4340 steel: an experimental and machine learning approach," Scientific Reports, vol. 15, no. 1, Nov. 2025, Art. no. 41207.