Temperature measurement performance of thin-film thermocouple cutting tool in turning titanium alloy

The measurement of cutting temperature is one of the most important research topics in the field of cutting. Traditional technology for cutting temperature measurement has limitations because it cannot accurately measure the real transient temperature change in the cutting area. In this study, a thin-film thermocouple sensor with high temperature measurement accuracy and rapid response was positioned near the cutting tool tip to prepare a thin-film thermocouple temperature-measurement tool. Its Seebeck coefficient was 48.13 μV/°C, and the highest temperature difference measured between cold and heat regions was 600 °C. The cutting temperature of a TC4 titanium alloy was measured using an infrared thermal imager and the proposed thin-film thermocouple temperature measurement tool in an orthogonal turning test. The test results were analysed to verify the reliability, accuracy, and repeatability of cutting temperature measurements. The cutting length could extend beyond 1500 m.