Investigation on wear behaviour of cryogenically treated TiAlN coated tungsten carbide inserts in turning

Cryogenic treatment has been ascribed as a way of improving the cutting life of tungsten carbide turning inserts. Most of the research conducted till date has not reported any effort to excavate the effect of cryogenic treatment on the performance of coated tungsten carbide inserts in terms of adhesion strength of coatings deposited on tungsten carbide substrate. In order to understand the effect of cryogenic treatment on the adhesion strength of coatings, a comparative investigation of the wear behaviour and machining performance of cryogenically treated coated tungsten carbide inserts in orthogonal turning has been carried out in this study. The commercially available TiAlN coated square shaped tungsten carbide inserts (P25) were procured and subjected to cryogenic treatment at two levels −110 °C (shallow treatment) and −196 °C (deep treatment) of temperature independently. The criterion selected for determining the turning performance was based on the maximum flank wear (0.6 mm) as recommended in ISO 3685-1993. The results showed that shallow cryogenically treated coated tungsten carbide inserts performed significantly better as compared with deep cryogenically treated and untreated inserts. Major outcome of the present study includes a substantial decrease in tool life of deep cryogenically treated inserts as compared to untreated inserts indicating the destructive effect of deep cryogenic temperature (−196 °C) on TiAlN coated inserts which is further supported by VDI-3198 indentation test.     

Investigation of the effects of cryogenic treatment applied at different holding times to cemented carbide inserts on tool wear

Cutting tool costs is one of the most important components of machining costs. For this reason, tool life should be improved using some methods such as cutting fluid, optimal cutting parameters, hard coatings and heat treatment. Recently, another one of the methods commonly used to improve tool life is cryogenic treatment. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of different holding times of deep cryogenic treatment on tool wear in turning of AISI 316 austenitic stainless steel. The cemented carbide inserts were cryogenically treated at −145 °C for 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 h. Wear tests were conducted at four cutting speeds (100, 120, 140 and 160 m/min), a feed rate of 0.3 mm/rev and a 2.4 mm depth of cut under dry cutting conditions. The wear test results showed that flank wear and crater wear were present in all combinations of the cutting parameters. However, notch wear appeared only at lower cutting speeds (100 and 120 m/min). In general, the best wear resistance was obtained with cutting inserts cryogenically treated for 24 h. This case was attributed to the increased hardness and improved micro-structure of cemented carbide inserts. These improvements were confirmed through hardness, image processing, and XRD analyses.     

Performance evaluation of cryogenically treated tungsten carbide tools in turning

This paper describes a study on the effects of cryogenic treatment of tungsten carbide. Cryogenic treatment has been acknowledged by some as a means of extending the tool life of many cutting tool materials, but little is known about the mechanism behind it. Thus far, detailed studies pertaining to cryogenic treatment have been conducted only on tool steels. However, tungsten carbide cutting tools are now in common use. The main aim of this study is to analyze the differences in tool performance between cryogenically treated and untreated tool inserts during orthogonal turning of steel. This will aid in the quest for optimal cutting conditions for the turning of steel using these inserts, and will also enhance the understanding of the mechanism behind the cryogenic treatment of tungsten carbide, and the changes in its properties after cryogenic treatment. In the process of ascertaining these findings, it was shown in this study that under certain conditions, cryogenic treatment can be detrimental to tool life and performance. It was also shown that cryogenically treated tools perform better while performing intermittent cutting operations.     

Tool flank wear prediction in CNC turning of 7075 AL alloy SiC composite

Flank wear occurs on the relief face of the tool and the life of a tool used in a machining process depends upon the amount of flank wear; so predicting of flank wear is an important requirement for higher productivity and product quality. In the present work, the effects of feed, depth of cut and cutting speed on flank wear of tungsten carbide and polycrystalline diamond (PCD) inserts in CNC turning of 7075 AL alloy with 10 wt% SiC composite are studied; also artificial neural network (ANN) and co-active neuro fuzzy inference system (CANFIS) are used to predict the flank wear of tungsten carbide and PCD inserts. The feed, depth of cut and cutting speed are selected as the input variables and artificial neural network and co-active neuro fuzzy inference system model are designed with two output variables. The comparison between the results of the presented models shows that the artificial neural network with the average relative prediction error of 1.03% for flank wear values of tungsten carbide inserts and 1.7% for flank wear values of PCD inserts is more accurate and can be utilized effectively for the prediction of flank wear in CNC turning of 7075 AL alloy SiC composite. It is also found that the tungsten carbide insert flank wear can be predicted with less error than PCD flank wear insert using ANN. With Regard to the effect of the cutting parameters on the flank wear, it is found that the increase of the feed, depth of cut and cutting speed increases the flank wear. Also the feed and depth of cut are the most effective parameters on the flank wear and the cutting speed has lesser effect.     

Experimental Investigations to Study the Effects of Microwave Treatment Strategy on Tool Performance in Turning Operation

In the present study, microwave treatment has been used to enhance the tribological properties of single-point tungsten carbide (WC) cutting tool inserts such as wear resistance and hardness. The tool hardness and cutting parameters were considered to evaluate the performance of microwave-treated WC inserts in turning operation. The optimum cutting parameters were identified using response surface method (RSM)-based desirability approach. The relationship between cutting parameters and output responses, viz. flank wear, cutting force and surface roughness, was developed using the RSM. The investigations revealed that the increase in tool hardness due to complex carbide formation results in a significant reduction in tool wear, cutting forces and improvement in the surface finish of workpiece. Further, the statistical models results were validated with the experimental results. Metallurgical properties of treated and untreated tool inserts were analyzed using scanning electron microscope, x-ray diffraction method and Vickers microhardness tests. The results highlighted the importance of microwave treatment in enhancing the machining performance in turning operation.     

Temperature of internally-cooled diamond-coated tools for dry-cutting titanium

The role of cutting fluids is well known for the importance of removing heat from the cutting edge, lubricating the sliding chip contact and transporting the metal chips away from the cutting zone. Dry machining leads to increased cutting temperatures and higher wear rates resulting in shorter tool life; this is particularly evident in the cutting of high strength materials. Diamond coated cutting inserts are not usually considered for machining titanium due to rapid oxidation of the coating at the temperatures typical of titanium machining. This paper examines the formation of hot-spots on the rake face during dry and near-dry turning of titanium using conventional cemented carbide inserts. Machining performance is assessed by measurement of tool wear and tool life. Trials with an internally cooled tool with a specially designed, diamond coated insert have shown that the heat from the cutting operation can be rapidly diffused over the entire surface of the insert and thus successfully drawn away from the tool via closed loop recirculation of coolant through the tool holder. This enables wear to be inhibited by management of rake face temperature to keep it below the critical temperatures at which these prominent wear mechanisms operate. Measurements of change in coolant temperature before and after circulation are used to quantify the heat removed from the cutting process. The low friction coefficient and high thermal conductivity of diamond, assisted by the indirect cooling, results in longer tool life whilst maintaining high standards of surface finish.     

Tool wear and machining performance of cBN–TiN coated carbide inserts and PCBN compact inserts in turning AISI 4340 hardened steel

PCBN is the dominant tool material for hard turning applications due to its high hardness, high wear resistance, and high thermal stability. However, the inflexibility of fabricating PCBN inserts with complex tool geometries and the prohibitive cost of PCBN inserts are some of the concerns in furthering the implementation of CBN based materials for hard turning. In this paper, we present the results of a thorough investigation of cBN plus TiN (cBN–TiN) composite-coated, commercial grade, carbide inserts (CNMA 432, WC–Co (6% Co)) for hard turning applications in an effort to address these concerns. The effect of cutting speed and feed rate on tool wear (tool life), surface roughness, and cutting forces of the cBN–TiN coated carbide inserts was experimented and analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) technique, and the cutting conditions for their maximum tool life were evaluated. The tool wear, surface roughness, and cutting forces of the cBN–TiN coated and commercially available PCBN tipped inserts were compared under similar cutting conditions. Both flank wear and crater wear were observed. The flank wear is mainly due to abrasive actions of the martensite present in the hardened AISI 4340 alloy. The crater wear of the cBN–TiN coated inserts is less than that of the PCBN inserts because of the lubricity of TiN capping layer on the cBN–TiN coating. The coated CNMA 432 inserts produce a good surface finish (<1.6 μm) and yield a tool life of about 18 min per cutting edge. In addition, cost analysis based on total machining cost per part was performed for the comparison of the economic viability between the cBN–TiN coated and PCBN inserts.     

Effects of cryogenic treatment and refrigerated air on tool wear when machining medium density fiberboard

Cooling of cutting tools with liquid coolants and lubricants is impractical when machining dry wood or wood composites. This study examines the combined effect of cryogenic tool treatment and using refrigerated air for cooling tools on reducing tool wear. A total of four, double-flute, solid, tungsten carbide router bits were used to machine medium density fiberboard with a CNC router. Three of the four tools were cryogenically treated to below −149 °C. During cutting, refrigerated air was applied to two tools, while the other two cut at ambient temperature. All tools were examined under the stereo light microscope to capture images in order to measure tool wear. Elemental analysis was performed using scanning electron microscopy to determine the percentage of specific elements present on clearance faces of tools after cutting was completed. Results show that less tool wear occurs when using refrigerated air and cryogenic treatment, thereby increasing tool life when cutting medium density fiberboard.     

Capability of high pressure cooling in the turning of surface hardened piston rods

An experimental study was performed to investigate the capabilities of dry, conventional and high pressure cooling (HPC) in the turning of surface hardened piston rods used in fluid power applications. Machining experiments were performed using coated carbide tools at cutting speeds up to 160 m/min. The cooling capabilities are compared by monitoring of chip breakability, process regions of operability, cooling efficiency, tool wear, tool life and cutting forces. Test results showed that dry cutting could not be performed due to long and ductile chips that were formed for all investigated cutting conditions. In comparison to conventional cooling the significant increase of cutting speed and feed rate region of operability was recorded when machining with HPC. Tool life analysis proved a five times increase in tool life when machining with HPC. Furthermore HPC also improved chip breakability and reduced coolant consumption.     

Effects of deep cryogenic treatment on the wear development of H13A tungsten carbide inserts when machining AISI 1045 steel

In this study, the effects of deep cryogenic treatment (93 K) on the surface and sub-surface wear development of H13A cobalt-bonded tungsten carbide cutting inserts during the wet machining of AISI 1045 steel were investigated. Cutting inserts were subjected to short periods (171–553 s) of turning at cutting speeds of 50–140 m/min, during which time mass measurements were taken and the worn edges were imaged and scanned, by optical microscopy and light interferometry, at regular intervals. Sections were taken following machining so that sub-surface features could be observed by scanning electron microscopy. It was determined that cryogenic treatment resulted in a 9.2 % increase in hardness and an increase in abrasive wear resistance, although microstructural changes and sub-surface behaviours suggested a corresponding decrease in toughness may have occurred.     

Hybrid machining of Inconel 718

A new approach for machining of Inconel 718 is presented in this paper. It combines traditional turning with cryogenically enhanced machining and plasma enhanced machining. Cryogenically enhanced machining is used to reduce the temperatures in the cutting tool, and thus reduces temperature-dependent tool wear to prolong tool life, whereas plasma enhanced machining is used to increase the temperatures in the workpiece to soften it. By joining these two non-traditional techniques with opposite effects on the cutting tool and the workpiece, it has been found that the surface roughness was reduced by 250%; the cutting forces was decreased by approximately 30–50%; and the tool life was extended up to 170% over conventional machining.     

Investigations of White Layer Formation During Machining of Powder Metallurgical Ni-Based ME 16 Superalloy

Surface integrity of machined parts made from the advanced Ni-based superalloys is important for modern manufacturing in the aerospace industry. Metallographic observations of the ME 16 alloy microstructure were made using optical metallography and a high-resolution scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive x-ray spectrometer (HR SEM/EDS). Tool life of cemented carbide inserts with TiAlN coating during machining (finishing turning operation) of ME 16 superalloy has been studied and wear patterns of the cutting tools were identified. Surface integrity of the machined part after completion of the turning operation was investigated. The morphology of machined parts has been examined and cross-sections of the machined surfaces have been analyzed. The formation of white layer on the surface of the machined part was studied for varied machining conditions. It was found that a 2-4 μm thick white layer forms during turning of the ME 16 superalloy. This layer was investigated using EDS and XRD. The studies show that the white layer is an oxygen-containing layer with a high amount of aluminum, enriched by chromium and tungsten. Under specific cutting conditions, the structure of white layer transforms into a γ-alumina. Formation of this thermal barrier ceramic white layer on the surface of the machined part negatively affects its surface integrity and cutting tool life.     

Cutting temperature, tool wear, surface roughness and dimensional deviation in turning AISI-4037 steel under cryogenic condition

Machining of steel inherently generates high cutting temperature, which not only reduces tool life but also impairs the product quality. Conventional cutting fluids are ineffective in controlling the high cutting temperature and rapid tool wear. Further, they also deteriorate the working environment and lead to general environmental pollution. Cryogenic cooling is an environment friendly clean technology for desirable control of cutting temperature. The present work deals with experimental investigation in the role of cryogenic cooling by liquid nitrogen jet on cutting temperature, tool wear, surface finish and dimensional deviation in turning of AISI-4037 steel at industrial speed-feed combination by coated carbide insert. The results have been compared with dry machining and machining with soluble oil as coolant. The results of the present work indicate substantial benefit of cryogenic cooling on tool life, surface finish and dimensional deviation. This may be attributed mainly to the reduction in cutting zone temperature and favorable change in the chip–tool interaction. Further it was evident that machining with soluble oil cooling failed to provide any significant improvement in tool life, rather surface finish deteriorated.     

Hard turning of an alloy steel on a machine tool with a polymer concrete bed

Finish turning of 39NiCrMo3 alloy steel in the hardened state has been widely investigated under dry, minimum quantity of lubricant and wet cutting conditions, using inserts in ceramic and PCBN materials, on turning centers equipped with polymer concrete and cast iron beds. The progress of workpart surface roughness and tool wear with cutting time has been measured and the results analysed and discussed in detail. It has been observed that dry cutting leads to the lowest values of tool wear and surface roughness, whilst the minimal quantity of lubricant technique does not provide advantages regarding to dry turning. Furthermore, the PCBN inserts are characterised by a longer tool life than the one exhibited by the ceramic inserts. Finally, the outstanding damping and high rigidity of the polymer concrete bed has a beneficial effect on both tool wear and workpiece surface finish.     

Analytical modeling and experimental investigation of tool and workpiece temperatures for interrupted cutting 1045 steel by inverse heat conduction method

Cutting temperature is a key factor which directly affects tool wear, workpiece integrity, and machining precision in high speed machining process. The interrupted cutting process consists of several periodical characteristics, such as cutting force and time varying heat source. Induced cutting temperature models with time varying heat flux are developed in this paper to predict temperature distribution at tool inserts and workpiece during interrupted cutting process. A set of interrupted cutting experimental installation is designed to verify the proposed models. The comparison of predicted and measured results for 1045 steel in interrupted cutting processes shows reasonable agreement. The measured temperature of both the tool inserts and workpiece increase firstly and then decrease as the cutting speed increases. The peak temperature of the workpiece appears at 1500 m/min, while the peak tool inserts temperature appears at 1250 m/min approximately. Heat flux is calculated by the inverse heat conduction method. The applicability of Salomon's hypothesis to the temperature of tool inserts and workpiece is discussed during the interrupted cutting process. The dropped temperature at high cutting speed is mainly caused by that heat flux into tool inserts decreases and heat transfer time is not enough after the critical cutting speed.     

Evaluation of the performance of CBN tools when turning Ti–6Al–4V alloy with high pressure coolant supplies

Cubic Nitride Boron (CBN) tools are generally used for machining harder alloys such as hardened high Cr steels, titanium and nickel alloys. The tools are expected to withstand the heat and pressure developed when machining at higher cutting conditions because of their high hardness and melting point. This paper evaluates the performance of different CBN tool grades in finish turning Ti–6Al–4V (IMI 318) alloy at high cutting conditions, up to 250 m min⁻¹, with various coolant supplies. Tool wear, failure modes, cutting and feed forces and surface roughness of machined surfaces were monitored and used to access the performance of the cutting tools. Comparative trials were carried out with uncoated carbide tools when machining at a speed of 150 m min⁻¹. Test results show that the performance of CBN tools, in terms of tool life, at the cutting conditions investigated is poor relative to uncoated carbide tools, as expected and often, reported due probably to rapid notching and excessive chipping of the cutting edge associated with a relatively high diffusion wear rate that tends to weaken the bond strength of the tool substrate. An increase in the CBN content of the cutting tool also led to a reduction in tool life when machining at the cutting conditions investigated.     

Cutting conditions for finish turning process aiming: the use of dry cutting

To avoid the use of cutting fluids in machining operations is one goal that has been searched for by many people in industrial companies, due to ecological and human health problems caused by the cutting fluid. However, cutting fluids still provide a longer tool life for many machining operations. This is the case of the turning operation of steel using coated carbide inserts. Therefore, the objective of this work is to find cutting conditions more suitable for dry cutting, i.e., conditions which make tool life in dry cutting, closer to that obtained with cutting with fluid, without damaging the workpiece surface roughness and without increasing cutting power consumed by the process. To reach these goals several finish turning experiments were carried out, varying cutting speed, feed and tool nose radius, with and without the use of cutting fluid. The main conclusion of this work was that to remove the fluid from a finish turning process, without harming tool life and cutting time and improving surface roughness and power consumed, it is necessary to increase feed and tool nose radius and decrease cutting speed.     

PCBN刀具断续车削淬硬钢的试验研究

为了探索PCBN刀具在断续切削条件下刀具的破损规律,选用两种不同的PCBN刀具,在不同强度的断续方式及不同的切削速度下,对淬硬钢进行车削试验研究。根据试验条件,观察了刀具前、后刀面的磨损及破损情况,分析了刀具的失效机理,比较了刀具的切削寿命。结果表明：断续强度严重影响PCBN刀具的使用寿命,断续强度越高,刀具寿命越低;在相同强度的断续条件下,切削速度影响刀具的使用寿命,切削速度越高,刀具的寿命越低;本实验所用的断续条件下,刀具的失效判据为崩刃。     

Fundamental investigation of ultra-precision ductile machining of tungsten carbide by applying elliptical vibration cutting with single crystal diamond

This paper presents essential investigations on the feasibility of ductile mode machining of sintered tungsten carbide assisted by ultrasonic elliptical vibration cutting technology. It lays out the foundations toward efficient application of elliptical vibration cutting technology on tungsten carbide. Tungsten carbide is a crucial material for glass molding in the optics manufacturing industry. Its grain size and binder material have significant influence not only on the mechanical and chemical properties but also on the machining performance of tungsten carbide. In order to investigate the influence of material composition on tungsten carbide machining, a series of grooving and planing experiments were conducted utilizing single crystal diamond tools. The experimental results indicated that as compared to ordinary cutting where finished surface deteriorates seriously, ductile mode machining can be attained successfully by applying the elliptical vibration cutting technique. It was also clarified that the binder material, the grain size, cutting/vibration conditions as well as crystal orientation of the diamond tool have significant influence on the tool life and the machined surface quality. Based on these fundamental results, feasibility of micro/nano-scale fabrication on tungsten carbide is investigated. By applying amplitude control sculpturing method, where depth of cut is arbitrary changed by controlling the vibration amplitude while machining, ultra-precision textured grooves and a dimple pattern were successfully sculptured on tungsten carbide in ductile mode.     

PCBN刀具干湿切削淬硬钢表面完整性研究

本文以采用PCBN刀具切削淬硬轴承钢GCr15为试验，对干、湿切削两种润滑条件下，工件表面粗糙度及表面白层（一种在加工表面形成的晶相组织发生变化的结构）进行了对比研究。实验结果表明：干、湿切削都可获得较好的表面粗糙度，湿切削表面粗糙度Ra稍低；湿切削没有发现明显的白层产生，干切削白层生成较早，且白层与黑层的厚度随着刀具磨损的增加而逐渐增加。