Analysis of Carbide Cutting Tool Wear Rate In The Turning Process of Aluminum 6061

Turning is widely used in manufacturing to produce components with specified dimensional accuracy and surface quality. The condition of the cutting tool, particularly the development of flank wear, plays an important role in determining machining performance and tool service life. This study investigated the progressive flank wear of a carbide cutting tool during the conventional turning of Aluminum 6061. Nine consecutive turning runs were performed under constant dry-machining conditions using a cutting speed of 150 m/min, a spindle speed of 750 rpm, a feed rate of 0.208 mm/rev, a depth of cut of 1.5 mm, a machining length of 100 mm, and a tool angle of 95°. After each run, the carbide tool was observed using an optical microscope, and the flank-wear width was measured at three locations using ImageJ. The average flank wear was calculated from the three measurement points. The results showed that the average flank-wear value increased progressively from 0.040 mm in the first run to 0.073 mm in the ninth run. Nevertheless, the maximum measured wear remained below the adopted tool-wear limit of 0.300 mm. The observed trend indicates that repeated tool–workpiece contact, friction, heat generation, and possible material adhesion contributed to gradual wear development. These findings provide practical information for monitoring carbide-tool condition during the dry turning of Aluminum 6061.