Sweden trip turned me into a dry machining believer

I visited some CNC shops in Sweden last month and saw their setups. I used to swear by flood coolant, but their dry machining with air blast was so clean and efficient! Has anyone had good results with dry cuts on stainless steel?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_jamie5d ago

My tools died fast dry cutting 304 last time.

anthony1295d ago

See, I've had the opposite happen with dry cutting 304. The tool life was okay, not amazing, but it didn't just die. It really came down to using the right tools and technique. I stick with a good carbide grade meant for stainless and make sure my speeds and feeds are in the right zone. For example, even just slowing the feed a little can make a huge difference in how long an end mill lasts, or switching to something like an M42 cobalt drill if you're not using coolant.

rubyshah5d ago

A good carbide grade can handle dry 304 if your feeds are right.