One of the main factors that affect tool life is heat generated during machining process. This heat generation is the result of the combined effects of the machining parameters, namely spindle speed, depth of cut, feed rate and cutting direction. Hence, in order to improve on the cutting tool life, factors that affect the heat generated during machining needs to be studied. In this paper, infra-red camera is used to obtain thermal images during a conventional milling process performed on a S45C carbon steel. The full factorial method was used to determine the most significant parameter that contributes to the heat generated during the milling process. It was found that the most influencing factor is depth of cut.
