The characteristics such as high hardness and shear modulus, low thermal conductivity, strain hardening of Nickel-based superalloys lead to high machining forces and temperature, poor surface quality and integrity, rapid tool wear, etc. The present article investigates the tool wear mechanism of the tungsten carbide (WC) tool in μ-turning of Nimonic 90 under dry, wet, and vegetable oil-based cutting fluid (VCF). Canola oil is used as vegetable oil. Three different combinations of cutting speed, feed rate, and depth of cut are considered for analysis. The tool wear is characterized using optical and scanning electron microscopy. Machining with VCF shows an approximate reduction of flank wear width in the range of 12–52% compared to dry and wet conditions. The main wear mechanisms observed on the tool flank and rake face are abrasion, built-up edge adhesion, and edge chipping. The VCF considerably reduces the adhesion and abrasion and, hence, increases tool life. The chips produced in dry conditions are found fractured and uneven, whereas, it had an uneven lamella structure in wet conditions. The VCF found reducing the plastic deformation in each cutting condition, as a result, producing fine lamella structured chips.

This paper focuses on the fabrication of high-quality novel products using a µEDM process variant called Reverse-µEDM. The tool plate required for the Reverse-µEDM is fabricated using Nd: YAG-based laser beam micromachining (LBµM) at the optimized process parameters. The Grey relation analysis technique is used for optimizing LBµM parameters for producing tool plates with arrayed micro-holes in elliptical and droplet profiles. Titanium sheets of 0.5 mm thickness were used for such micro-holes, which can be used as a Reverse-µEDM tool. The duty cycle (a combination of pulse width and frequency) and current percentage are considered as significant input process parameters for the LBµM affecting the quality of the micro-holes. A duty cycle of 1.25% and a current of 20% were found to be an optimal setting for the fabrication of burr-free shallow striation micro-holes with a minimal dimensional error. Thereafter, analogous protrusions of high dimensional accuracy and minimum deterioration were produced by Reverse-µEDM using the LBµM fabricated tool plates.