Machinability of hardened steel using alumina based ceramic cutting tools

Alumina based ceramic cutting tool is an attractive alternative for carbide tools in the machining of steel in its hardened condition. These ceramic cutting tools can machine with high cutting speed and produce good surface finish. The wear mechanism of these ceramic cutting tools should be properly understood for greater utilization. Two types of ceramic cutting tools namely Ti[C,N] mixed alumina ceramic cutting tool and zirconia toughened alumina ceramic cutting tool are used for our investigation. The machinability of hardened steel was evaluated by measurements of tool wear, cutting forces and surface finish of the work piece. These alumina based ceramic cutting tool materials produce good surface finish in the machining of hardened steel. In this paper an attempt is made to analyse the important wear mechanisms like abrasive wear, adhesive wear and diffusion wear of these ceramic cutting tool materials and the performance of these ceramic cutting tools related to the surface finish is also discussed here.     

Tool life and wear mechanisms in high speed machining of Ti–6Al–4V alloy with PCD tools under various coolant pressures

Usage of titanium alloys has increased since the past 50 years despite difficulties encountered during machining. Many studies involving different tool materials, cutting parameters, tool geometry and cutting fluids when machining this important aerospace material have been published. However, there are relatively few literatures available on the application of ultra hard tools in the machining of titanium-alloys. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the behaviour of Polycrystalline Diamond (PCD) tools when machining Ti–6Al–4V alloy at high speed conditions using high pressure coolant supplies. Tool performance under different tribological conditions and the dominant wear mechanisms were investigated. Increase in coolant pressure tends to improve tool life and reduce the adhesion tendency, accelerated by the susceptibility of titanium alloy to gall during machining. Adhesion and attrition are the dominant wear mechanisms when machining at the cutting conditions investigated.     

Study on wear mechanisms and grain effects of PCD tool in machining laminated flooring

Polycrystalline diamond (PCD) tools have gained increasing application in woodworking industry for the phenomenal tool life and cutting finish compared with carbide tools. In the paper, machining experiments with PCD tools were conducted to mill laminated flooring with Al₂O₃ overlay. Four kinds of PCD products with different original diamond grain sizes were used to fabricate the cutters. Wear volume was measured by optical microscopy and wear morphology was examined by SEM and optical microscopy.The experimental results show that the wear mechanisms of PCD tools, in the machining process, involve inter-granular wear and partial cleavage fracture. The microcracks in PCD tools are a key reason for the wear of tools. By comparing the flank wear, the experiments reveal that PCD tools with middle original diamond grain size have long tool life. The influences of original diamond grain size on cutting edge and wear properties have also been discussed in detail.     

Advanced coated ceramic tools for machining superalloys

The main limitation on the use of nickel-base superalloys, such as INCONEL 718, is the difficulty in conventional-type machining. The use of high cutting speed to achieve both machining adiabatic conditions and high productivity is necessary for their applications. This non-conventional type machining results in a short life-span of tools, even for those expensive ceramic ones with reinforced SiC whiskers (SiC_w) suitable for use at high cutting speeds. The aim of the paper is to present the results of a new idea proposed by the authors to obtain an increase in tool life at high cutting speed by minimizing the temperature effects on composite reinforcement mechanisms. The 2090 SiC whiskers reinforced A1₂O₃ tools were CrN and (Ti,AI)N coated using the PVD technique, and comparative machining tests on INCONEL 718 were carried out using uncoated and coated tools. After machining, the tools were observed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and EDAX (X-ray) semiquantitative analyses were performed. The behaviour of the CrN and (Ti,AI)N layers using various cutting conditions was analysed and different wear mechanisms along the tool chip contact length were observed. The cause and the mechanisms of wear were deduced and mathematic models linking tool life with process parameters were suggested.     

Wear behavior of Al2O3/Ti(C,N)/SiC new ceramic tool material when machining tool steel and cast iron

Design, fabrication and application of ceramic cutting tools are one of the important research topics in the field of metal cutting and advanced ceramic materials. In the present study, wear resistance of an advanced Al₂O₃/Ti(C,N)/SiC multiphase composite ceramic tool material have been studied when dry machining hardened tool steel and cast iron under different cutting conditions. Microstructures of the worn materials were observed with scanning electronic microscope to help analyze wear mechanisms. It is shown that when machining hardened tool steel at low speed wear mode of the kind of ceramic tool material is mainly flank wear with slight crater wear. The adhesion between tool and work piece is relatively weak. With the increase of cutting speed, cutting temperature increases consequently. As a result, the adhesion is intensified both in the crater area and flank face. The ceramic tool material has good wear resistance when machining grey cast iron with uniform flank wear. Wear mechanism is mainly abrasive wear at low cutting speed, while adhesion is intensified in the wear area at high cutting speed. Wear modes are dominantly rake face wear and flank wear in this case.     

Effect of machining parameters and coating on wear mechanisms in dry drilling of aluminium alloys

The temperature generated by friction and plastic deformation in the secondary shear zone strongly controls tool wear. At lower cutting speeds tool wear is not severe insofar as the temperature is not significant. When the cutting speed is increased, there is a transition in wear mechanisms from abrasion and/or adhesion to diffusion. In the present paper, the change in wear mechanisms as a function of cutting speed and coating material is discussed. The cutting tests were performed on a rigid instrumented drilling bench without the use of cutting fluids. AA2024 aluminium alloy was used to investigate the wear mechanisms of cemented tungsten carbide and HSS tools. Three cutting speeds (25, 65 and 165 m/min) and a constant feed rate of 0.04 mm/rev were selected for the experiments. The best results in terms of maximum and minimum hole diameter deviations and surface roughness are obtained for the uncoated and coated tungsten carbide drills. The results also show that HSS tool is not suitable for dry machining of AA2024 aluminium alloy.     

Broaching of Inconel 718 with cemented carbide

Broaching is the standard process for machining complex-shaped slots in turbine discs. More flexible processes such as milling, wire EDM machining and water-jet cutting are under investigation and show promising results. In order to further use existing resources and process knowledge, the broaching process has to be improved towards higher material removal rates. Taking into account that the state-of-the-art broaching process is working with high-speed-steel tools, the higher thermal resistant cemented carbide cutting materials offer the potential to significantly increase cutting speeds, which lead to increased process productivity. The following article presents a broad study on broaching with cemented carbide tools. Different cutting edge geometries are discussed on the basis of process forces, chip formation and tool wear mechanisms. Furthermore, a detailed comparison to the standard process is drawn.     

Quantification of tool wear using white light interferometry and three-dimensional computational metrology

Although several wear modes can result from machining, the most common tend to be what are referred to as flank wear and crater wear. Flank wear can be easily measured directly from images of a worn cutting tool, and this is the typical method used to quantify the condition of a tool. On the other hand, crater wear is difficult to quantify, and thus has typically been treated in a qualitative manner. The inability to characterize and compare the two wear modes in a quantitative way is an increasingly important problem as the precision of machining operations improves and cutting moves almost exclusively to the nose radius of cutting tools. This paper introduces a new approach to this problem by proposing a technique to quantify both wear modes for direct comparison. The technique measures the volumetric wear loss in the two regions by comparing three-dimensional wear data obtained by white light interferometry with ideal representations of unworn cutting tools. The resulting wear measurements are compared and related to changes in the cutting process, specifically increases in cutting forces and changes in the topography of machined surfaces.     

Chip formation and tool wear in turning of aluminum-alloyed UHC-steels

Aluminum-alloyed ultra-high-carbon steels (UHC-steels) display outstanding mechanical properties combined with a reduced density compared to conventional steels. Consequently, these steels show high potential for industrial applications. A widespread use of UHC-steels containing aluminum depends strongly on efficient machining processes. Since material processing has been restricted to laboratory scale until recently, only few empirical values exist on machining. This paper is focused on the chip formation and tool wear in external turning of aluminum-alloyed UHC-steels. The mechanical loads on the tool are presented and compared to C70MnVS4, which is commonly used for powertrain components. Furthermore, recommendations for optimized cutting tools are given. The results indicate that adhesive wear and chipping are the predominant tool wear mechanisms due to high cutting temperatures and the distinct microstructure of the investigated UHC-steel.     

Hybrid cutting of granite by use of ultrasonic assistance

Hybrid technologies offer an important approach to enhance existing limits of conventional cutting manufacturing processes. Superposition of the infeed with adapted ultrasonic vibrations enables reductions of machining forces. This results in diminished tool wear and longer tool life. Furthermore, an increase of removal rates can be achieved. Successful machining of recalcitrant metal-based materials by ultrasonic assisted systems creates a high potential to gain similar effects in machining of mineral-based materials. This will be studied in this article. The state of the art for the machining of stone uses geometrically undefined cutting edges. This paper focuses on the geometrically defined cutting of granite with additional ultrasonic assistance. Cutting tests at a test station with linear cutting motion are being performed. The ultrasonic frequency is maintained at 20 kHz. Different oscillation amplitudes are applied to influence process forces and the wear of the used carbide metal and polycrystalline diamond cutting segments (PCD). A method to observe the wear is developed by use of a stereomicroscope and a 3D measurement system. This will enable conclusions about the applicability of the geometry of the cutting segments and the process parameters. Due to the significant different wear rates of both cutting materials, the cutting force progression by using PCD tools shows completely different characteristics compared to the machining with carbide metal tools.     

PCBN刀具硬态车削的磨损机制研究

PCBN刀具用于高速切削、硬态切削、干切削以及加工自动化和难加工材料等先进切削工艺时显示出了卓越的性能,为了推动PCBN刀具在我国的推广使用,充分发挥PCBN刀具的潜能,有必要对PCBN刀具切削过程中的行为规律进行研究。目前国内外已经有很多这方面的研究报道,本文旨在对前人已进行的工作进行一个系统的总结,以期能得到PCBN硬态车削时的主要的磨损机制。     

Failure mechanisms of TiB2 particle and SiC whisker reinforced Al2O3 ceramic cutting tools when machining nickel-based alloys

In this paper, Al₂O₃/TiB₂/SiC_w ceramic cutting tools with different volume fraction of TiB₂ particles and SiC whiskers were produced by hot pressing. The fundamental properties of these composite tool materials were examined. Machining tests with these ceramic tools were carried out on the Inconel718 nickel-based alloys. The tool wear rates and the cutting temperature were measured. The failure mechanisms of these ceramic tools were investigated and correlated to their mechanical properties. Results showed that the fracture toughness and hardness of the composite tool materials continuously increased with increasing SiC whisker content up to 30 vol.%. The relative density decreased with increasing SiC whisker content, the trend of the flexural strength being the same as that of the relative density. Cutting speeds were found to have a profound effect on the wear behaviors of these ceramic tools. The ceramic tools exhibited relative small flank and crater wear at cutting speed lower than 100 m/min, within further increasing of the cutting speed the flank and crater wear increased greatly. Cutting speeds less than 100 m/min were proved to be the best range for this kind of ceramic tool when machining Inconel718 nickel-based alloys. The composite tool materials with higher SiC whisker content showed more wear resistance. Abrasive wear was found to be the predominant flank wear mechanism. While the mechanisms responsible for the crater wear were determined to be adhesion and diffusion due to the high cutting temperature.     

铝合金切削过程刀具磨损预测研究

为更精确地研究刀具磨损,建立刀具磨损模型至关重要。目前刀具磨损的模型主要是经典的刀具磨损模型和刀具磨损预测模型,刀具磨损预测模型主要为人工神经网络、隐马尔可夫模型和支持向量机模型。分析铝合金切削过程中的刀具磨损机制,总结经典的刀具磨损模型,梳理刀具磨损预测模型。铝合金切削过程中刀具主要的磨损机制为黏着磨损、扩散磨损和磨粒磨损。结果表明：在黏着磨损和磨粒磨损的基础上考虑扩散磨损的刀具磨损理论模型最接近实际加工。     

Research Progress of Diamond Tool Machining Technology for Ferrous MetalsEI北大核心CSCD

金刚石刀具是超精密加工最理想的刀具之一,但在黑色金属超精密加工领域“石墨化”导致刀具快速磨损,其应用极大地受到了限制。首先,针对金刚石刀具的磨损机理进行介绍。然后,综述金刚石刀具切削黑色金属的几种常见方法,如刀具表面改性、工件表面改性、低温辅助切削、超声振动辅助切削等,通过研究实例来分析各方法的应用效果和存在问题,并从技术层面分析影响金刚石刀具在黑色金属加工领域发展的关键因素。最后,对金刚石刀具切削黑色金属未来的发展趋势进行探讨。总结金刚石刀具在黑色金属领域的加工方法,分析加工黑色金属时抑制金刚石刀具磨损的核心技术,对黑色金属的精密超精密加工具有重要的引领和推动作用。     

Ion implantation of superhard ceramic cutting tools

Despite numerous reports of tool life increase by ion implantation in machining operations, ion implantation applications of cutting tools remain limited, especially for ceramic tools. Mechanisms of tool-life improvement by implantation are not clearly established due to complexity of both implantation and tool-wear processes. In an attempt to improve performance of cubic boron nitride (CBN) tools for hard machining by ion implantation, a literature survey of ion-implanted cutting tools was carried out with a focus on mechanisms of tool-wear reduction by ion implantation. Implantation and machining experiments were then conducted to investigate implantation effects on CBN tools in hard machining. A batch of CBN tools was implanted with nitrogen ions at 150 keV and 2.5×10¹⁷ ions/cm² and further used to cut 61 HRc AISI 52100 steel at different conditions. Results show that ion implantation has strong effects on partsurface finish, moderate effect on cutting forces, but an insignificant impact on tool wear. Friction coefficients, estimated from measured cutting forces, are possibly reduced by ion implantation, which may improve surface finish. However, surprisingly, 2-D orthogonal cutting to evaluate tribological loading in hard machining showed no difference on contact stresses and friction coefficients between implanted and nonimplanted CBN tools. This paper was presented at the 2nd International Surface Engineering Congress sponsored by ASM International, on September 15–17, 2003, in Indianapolis, Indiana.     

Experimental investigation on the effect of the material microstructure on tool wear when machining hard titanium alloys: Ti–6Al–4V and Ti-555

An experimental investigation was conducted in this work to analyze the effect of the workpiece microstructure on tool wear behavior and stability of the cutting process during marching difficult to cut titanium alloys: Ti–6Al–4V and Ti-555. The analysis of tool–chip interface parameters such as friction, temperature rise, tool wear and workpiece microstructure evolution under different cutting conditions have been investigated. As the cutting speed increases, mean cutting forces and temperature show different progressions depending on the considered microstructure. Results show that wear modes of cutting tools used for machining the Ti-555 alloy exhibit contrast from those obtained for machining the Ti–6Al–4V alloy. Because of the fine-sized microstructure of the near-β titanium Ti-555, abrasion mode was often found to be the dominate wear mode for cemented cutting tools. However, adhesion and diffusion modes followed by coating delamination process were found as the main wear modes when machining the usual Ti–6Al–4V alloy by the same cutting tools. Moreover, a deformed layer was detected using SEM–EDS analysis from the sub-surface of the chip with β-grains orientation along the chip flow direction. The analysis of the microstructure confirms the intense deformation of the machined surface and shows a texture modification.     

Thermally enhanced machining of hard-to-machine materials—A review

Thermally enhanced machining uses external heat sources to heat and soften the workpiece locally in front of the cutting tool. The temperature rise at the shear zone reduces the yield strength and work hardening of the workpiece, which make the plastic deformation of hard-to-machine materials easier during machining.This review summarizes the up-to-date progress and benefits of thermally enhanced machining (with a focus on laser and plasma assistance) of ceramics, metals and metal matrix composites. It covers the integration of the external heat source with cutting tools, analysis of temperature distribution around the cutting region, material removal mechanisms, tool wear mechanisms and the improvement in machinability of various engineering materials by the assistance of external heat source.     

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.     

Wear mechanisms of the rough form tools in the automatic screw machine test

Tool wear mechanisms of the rough form tools in the automatic screw machine test during machining of bismuth-bearing low carbon resulfurized free machining steel under practical machining conditions were investigated. Four mechanisms, namely mild adhesive wear, abrasive wear, continuous wear, and plastic deformation have been observed to play some roles simultaneously. Mild adhesive wear, which is a wear process taking place during detachment of an adhered chip, is believed to be enhanced by fatigue. Abrasive wear could take place either by oxide inclusions in the workpiece or by the primary carbide particles of the tool freed by some wear mechanisms. Continuous wear has been attributed to some type of atomic process, most probably dissolution of tool material into the chip. On the flank face, continuous, abrasive, and mild adhesive wear are believed to be the major wear mechanisms. On the rake face, continuous wear appears to be the predominant tool wear mechanism. Based on this investigation and consideration of the effect of built-up edge (BUE), reduction of cutting force, optimization of BUE size, stabilization of BUE, and reduction of oxide inclusions are found to be important for reduction of tool wear under practical machining conditions.     

Cutting Performance and Wear Behavior of AlTiN-and TiAlSiN-Coated Carbide Tools During Dry Milling of Ti-6Al-4V

Machining, especially dry machining of titanium alloys, has been one of the most significant challenges for carbide cutting tools. In this study, aluminum-rich AlTiN coating, as well as TiAlSiN nanocomposite coating, were successfully employed for dry milling of Ti-6Al-4V alloy with high efficiency and long tool life. At the cutting speeds of 150 m/min and 200 m/min, the tool life of the TiAlSiN-coated tool exceeds that of AlTiN-coated tool by 32 and 66%, respectively. The wear modes for both coated tools include the uniform flank wear, smooth wear, chipping, coating and substrate flaking, crater and notch wear, and the wear mechanisms include adhesion, diffusion, oxidation and crack. Among them, the wear mechanism is dominated by the adhesion and oxidation wear. As compared with AlTiN coating, TiAlSiN coating exhibits better mechanical properties and oxidation resistance, which contribute to a better cutting performance, fewer thermal cracks and smaller and uniform workpiece chips during the dry milling of Ti-6Al-4V alloy.