Taylor Tool-Life vs Cutting Speed
The Taylor tool-life relation V x T^n = C, the trade-off between cutting speed and edge life: at speed V (sfm) the tool life is T = (C/V)^(1/n) minutes, and the speed for a target life is V = C / T^n. C is the speed for a 1-minute life and n is the tool-material exponent (~0.1-0.15 HSS, 0.2-0.4 carbide), both from the insert maker or a handbook. Because n is small, life is very sensitive to speed: with C = 300, n = 0.2, cutting at 200 sfm gives 7.6 min, but 174 sfm stretches it to 15 min -- a 13% speed cut roughly doubles the life, the number to balance cycle time against insert cost. The base form ignores feed and depth (the extended Taylor equation adds them); the insert manufacturer's data and the tool/work/coolant combination govern.
Formula and source
V x T^n = C, so tool life T = (C/V)^(1/n) minutes and the speed for a target life V = C / T^n. C = cutting speed (sfm) for a 1-minute life; n = tool-material exponent (~0.1-0.15 HSS, 0.2-0.4 carbide).
Taylor tool-life equation (F.W. Taylor, 1907), by name; the extended form adds feed and depth terms. The insert manufacturer's data and the tool/work/coolant combination govern.
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