Grey-box model–integrating tribology descriptor for tool wear prediction in milling

Tool wear prediction in milling often relies on extensive experiments or data-driven models, limiting efficiency and interpretability. This study introduces a process–tribology descriptor linking a coating-specific tribological wear parameter from model tests to time-dependent tool wear. A coating-specific wear rate is embedded within a structured wear formulation to describe coating-dependent behavior across machining conditions. A physics-informed grey-box model further incorporates machining parameters and thermo-mechanical effects, enhancing predictive robustness. The approach preserves the relative wear ranking of coatings and enables efficient, transferable, and physically interpretable tool wear modeling within the tested machining parameter range.