Experimental investigations on the milling characteristics of Cu alloys and additively manufactured CuCrZr

Abstract

Copper is one of the widely used materials in various fields such as automotive, electronics, aviation, etc. The inherent property of copper makes it useful in wide variety of applications. The features on different components using the copper material can be made using different manufacturing techniques. However, post processing is one of the inevitable steps in any manufacturing process. Machining is one of the widely used post processing. There are multiple varieties of milling process. Among them, end milling process is widely used for making the slots. Three important process parameters in end milling process are depth of cut, cutting rate and feed rate. In this experimental approach, the copper is subjected to end milling operation by varying the aforementioned input parameters. In this fast-moving world, any manufacturing industry aims to produce the features with good dimensional accuracy with minimal amount of tool wear. Hence, the output responses selected are surface roughness and the tool wear. This research investigates the machining behavior of pure copper (Cu) and additively produced CuCrZr alloys to assess how fabrication methods affect processability. Pure copper, recognized for exceptional thermal / electrical conductivity, is compared against additively manufactured CuCrZr, which retains copper’s advantages while offering improved strength and wear resistance through alloy composition. During the milling process the following parameters such surface quality, cutting forces, tool degradation, and removal rates are reviewed through proper analysis. Compared to commercial copper, CuCrZr is more difficult to machine because it requires precise control over machining parameters to attain superior surface quality during milling. It is found that the CS and FR parameters balance material removal rate while controlling surface quality in both materials. As–built CuCrZr finds demand in high–performance applications such as heat exchangers, rocket engine components, and electrical contacts wherein strength, excellent thermal conductivity and additive manufacturability are critical. © S.R. Mundla, S. Arungalai Vendan, P. Paul, A.K. Shettigar, S.C. Jambagi, 2025.