Topography of the flank wear surface

In many applications, topography represents the main external features of a surface. This paper describes the topography of the flank wear surface and also presents the relationship between the maximum flank wear and the topography parameters (roughness parameters) of the flank wear surface during the turning operation. A modern CNC lathe machine (Okuma LH35-N) was used for the machine turning operation. Three-dimensional surface roughness parameters of the flank wear surface were measured by a surface texture instrument (from Talysurf series) using surface topography software (Talymap). Based on the resulting experimental data, it is found that as the flank wear increases, the roughness parameters (sR_a, sR_q, and sR_t) on the flank surface increase significantly. The greater the roughness value of the flank wear surface, the higher the friction of the tool on the workpiece and the greater the heat generation that will occur, thus ultimately causing tool failure. On the other hand, positive skewness (sR_sk) indicates the presence of a small number of spikes on the flank surface of the cutting tool, which could quickly wear off during the machining process.     

A computer algorithm for flank and crater wear estimation in CNC turning operations

In order to increase the productivity of turning processes, several attempts have been made in the recent past for tool wear estimation and classification in turning operations. The tool flank and crater wear can be predicted by a number of models including statistical, pattern recognition, quantitative and neural network models. In this paper, a computer algorithm of new quantitative models for flank and crater wear estimation is presented. First, a quantitative model based on a correlation between increases in feed and radial forces and the average width of flank wear is developed. Then another model which relates acoustic emission (AE_rms) in the turning operation with the flank and crater wear developed on the tool is presented. The flank wear estimated by the first model is then employed in the second model to predict the crater wear on the tool insert. The influence of flank and crater wear on AE_rms generated during the turning operation has also been investigated. Additionally, chip-flow direction and tool–chip rake face interfacing area are also examined. The experimental results indicate that the computer program developed, based on the algorithm mentioned above, has a high accuracy for estimation of tool flank wear.     

Tool wear measurement in turning using force ratio

The aim of this work was to develop a reliable method to predict flank wear during the turning process. The present work developed a mathematical model for on-line monitoring of tool wear in a turning process. Force signals are highly sensitive carriers of information about the machining process and, hence, they are the best alternatives for monitoring tool wear. In the present work, determination of tool wear has been achieved by using force signals. The relationship between flank wear and the ratio of force components was established on the basis of data obtained from a series of experiments. Measurement of the ratio between the feed force and the cutting force components (F_f/F_c) has been found to provide a practical method for an in-process approach to the quantification of tool wear. A series of experiments was conducted to study the effects of tool wear as well as other cutting parameters on the cutting force signals, and to establish a relationship between the force signals, tool wear and other cutting parameters. The flank wear and the ratio of forces at different working conditions were collected experimentally to develop a mathematical model for predicting flank wear. The model was verified by comparing the experimental values with the predicted values. The relationship was then used for determination of tool flank wear.     

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.     

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.     

Influence of machining cycle of horizontal milling on the quality of cutting force measurement for the cutting tool wear monitoring

The cutting tools are today used a lot by industry and they are expensive, so it was interesting to optimize their use, by developing a predictive method of their wear, particularly, the flank wear V _b . For this task, the flank tool wear was measured in off-line using a binocular microscope, whereas, the cutting forces are recorded by means of a dynamometer (Kistler 9255B). The acquired signatures are analyzed during the milling operation throughout the tool life. In this paper, we are interested in the extraction of the appropriate indicators which characterize the tool wear by temporal and frequential analyses of the cutting force signals; and highlighting the influence of the clamp holes and the machining cycle to the quality of the measurements.     

Hard machining of hardened bearing steel using cubic boron nitride tool

In many cases, hard machining remains an economic alternative for bearing parts fabrication using hardened steels. The aim of this experimental investigation is to establish the behaviour of a CBN tool during hard turning of 100Cr6-tempered steel. Initially, a series of long-duration wear tests is planned to elucidate the cutting speed effects on the various tool wear forms. Then, a second set of experiments is devoted to the study of surface roughness, cutting forces and temperature changes in both the chip and the workpiece. The results show that CBN tool offers a good wear resistance despite the aggressiveness of the 100Cr6 at 60HRC. The major part of the heat generated during machining is mainly dissipated through the chip. Beyond 280 m/min, the machining system becomes unstable and produces significant sparks and vibrations after only a few minutes of work. The optimal productivity of machined chip was recorded at a speed of 120 m/min for an acceptable tool flank wear below 0.4 mm. Beyond this limiting speed, roughness (R_a) is stabilized because of a reduction in the cutting forces at high speeds leading to a stability of the machining system. The controlling parameter over roughness, in such hard turning cases, remains tool advance although ideal models do not describe this effect rationally. Surface quality obtained with CBN tool significantly compared with that of grinding despite an increase in the advance by a factor of 2.5. A relationship between flank wear (VB) and roughness (R_a) is deduced from parametric analysis based on extensive experimental data.     

Effects of random aspects of cutting tool wear on surface roughness and tool life

The effects of random aspects of cutting tool flank wear on surface roughness and on tool lifetime, when turning the AISI 1045 carbon steel, were studied in this investigation. It was found that standard deviations corresponding to tool flank wear and to the surface roughness increase exponentially with cutting time. Under cutting conditions that correspond to finishing operations, no significant differences were found between the calculated values of the capability indexC _p at the steady-state region of the tool flank wear, using the best-fit method or the Box-Cox transformation, or by making the assumption that the surface roughness data are normally distributed. Hence, a method to establish cutting tool lifetime could be established that simultaneously respects the desired average of surface roughness and the required capability index.     

Slipline field modeling of orthogonal machining for a worn tool with elastic effects and adhesion friction at the contact regions

In this paper, two slipline field models are presented for orthogonal machining with a worn tool with a finite flank wear land. Friction at tool–chip and tool–work piece interfaces are assumed to be governed by the adhesion friction law as suggested by [Maekawa, K., Kitagawa, T., Childs, T.H.C., 1997. Friction characteristics at chip–tool interface in steel machining. 23rd Leeds Lyon Symposium in Tribology] It is further assumed that the natural contact length consists of a zone of elastic contact and a zone of plastic contact such that the forces in the elastic contact region and those at the rigid-plastic chip boundary keep the chip in a state of static equilibrium. The relation between the angular range of α- and β-lines within the secondary shear zone is assumed to be given by the linear equation β = m₀α. The fields are analyzed by the matrix operational procedure developed by [Dewhurst, P., Collins, I.F., 1973. A matrix methods for constructing slipline field solutions to a class of plain strain plasticity problems. Int. J. Numer. Methods Engineering 7, 357–378; Dewhurst, P., 1984. The Coulomb friction boundary value problem in plain-strain slipline field theory. In: First Int. Conf. on Technology of Plasticity (ICTP) Proc. (Advanced Technology of Plasticity), Tokyo, Japan, pp. 1085–1090; Dewhurst, P., 1985. A general matrix operator for linear boundary value problems in slip-line field theory. Int. J. Numer. Methods engineering 21, 169–182]. The limits of the validity of the proposed fields are established using Hill's overstressing criteria. Effect of flank wear on ploughing and cutting forces is studied and their variation with friction parameters examined. It is shown that the peak tool tip pressure for a worn tool is much lower than that for a sharp tool. The results of computation further demonstrate that the force ratio and average tool–chip Coulomb coefficient of friction for a sharp tool decrease with rake angle. But presence of even a small flank wear land may reverse this trend. The results from theoretical analysis are also compared with experiment.     

Design,fabrication and properties of a self-lubricated tool in dry cutting

Micro-holes were made using micro-EDM on the rake and flank face of the cemented carbide (WC/Co) tools. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) solid lubricants were filled into the micro-holes to form self-lubricated tools (ML-1 and -2). Dry cutting tests on hardened steel were carried out with these self-lubricated tools and conventional tools (ML-3). The cutting forces, the tool wear, and the friction coefficient between the tool–chip interface were measured. It was shown that the cutting forces with ML-1 and -2 self-lubricated tools were greatly reduced compared with that of ML-3 conventional tool, the ML-1 self-lubricated tool with one micro-hole in its rake face possessed the lower friction coefficient at the tool–chip interface; while the ML-2 self-lubricated tool with one micro-hole in its flank face revealed more flank wear resistance. The mechanism responsible was explained as the formation of a self-lubricating film between the sliding couple, and the composition of this lubricating film was found to be MoS₂ solid lubricant, which was released from the micro-hole and smeared on the rake or flank face, and can be acted as lubricating additive during dry cutting processes.     

Some experimental investigations in the drilling of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) composite laminates

In this paper, a concept of delamination factor F_d (i.e. the ratio of the maximum diameter D_max in the damage zone to the hole diameter D) is proposed to analyze and compare easily the delamination degree in the drilling of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) composite laminates. Experiments were performed to investigate the variations of cutting forces with or without onset of delamination during the drilling operations. The effects of tool geometry and drilling parameters on cutting force variations in CFRP composite materials drilling were also experimentally examined. The experimental results show that the delamination-free drilling processes may be obtained by the proper selections of tool geometry and drilling parameters. The effects of drilling parameters and tool wear on delamination factor are also presented and discussed.Cutting temperature has long been recognized as an important factor influencing the tool wear rate and tool life. An experimental investigation of flank surface temperatures is also presented in this paper. Experimental results indicated that the flank surface temperatures increase with increasing cutting speed but decreasing feed rate. Optimal cutting conditions are proposed to avoid damage from burning during the drilling processes.     

Performances of micro-textured WC-10Ni3Al cemented carbides cutting tool in turning of Ti6Al4V

Cutting performances of micro-textured WC-10Ni₃Al cutting tools compared with micro-textured WC-8Co cutting tools in turning of Ti6Al4V was investigated in this study. Cutting forces, cutting temperature, and tool life based on the criterion of a 300 μm flank wear were measured. The wear tracks of the rake face and flank face for micro-textured WC-10Ni₃Al cutting tools were analyzed. It is found that WC-10Ni₃Al cutting tools had smaller heat damages during LST compared with WC-8Co cutting tools, which was benefit for avoiding premature tool failure during Ti6Al4V machining process. Micro-textures on the rake face could effectively reduce cutting forces, cutting temperature, adhesion on the rake face, and hence increase tool life, especially at higher cutting speed.     

Influence of oxygen on the tool wear in machining

High temperatures generated in machining are known to facilitate oxidation wear. A controlled atmosphere chamber was developed to investigate the effects of oxygen on tool wear and high speed machining tests were conducted on air and in argon. Cemented carbide, cermet and cubic boron nitride tooling was used on alloyed steel, hardened tool steel and superalloy Alloy 718. Machining in argon resulted in higher flank wear, higher cutting forces, and larger tool–chip contact length on the rake face. However, in hard machining, argon atmosphere reduced rake cratering. Transmission electron microscopy of tools worn on air showed formation of nanocrystalline Al₂O₃ film on the rake when machining aluminium containing Alloy 718, while no oxide films was detectable in the other cases.     

Microstructural changes in CVD κ-Al2O3 coated cutting tools during turning operations

This work is concerned with the microstructural evolution in CVD κ-Al₂O₃ coatings during high speed metal cutting. The wear characteristics and the κ-Al₂O₃ to α-Al₂O₃ phase transformation during metal cutting have been studied in detail by means of transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Based on the results of these investigations, the different wear mechanisms of κ-Al₂O₃ coated cemented carbide tools in metal cutting are discussed.Under the cutting conditions studied, flank wear depth developed at about twice the speed of rake face wear. No phase transformation occurred on the flank face, leading to wear of the non-transformed κ-Al₂O₃ of a more abrasive nature. On the rake face, a region of the κ-Al₂O₃ coating was transformed to α-Al₂O₃, and the wear crater was positioned inside the transformed α-Al₂O₃ area. The surface zone in the crater displayed a higher dislocation density, an indication of the occurrence of plastic deformation. It is concluded that the transformation from κ-Al₂O₃ to α-Al₂O₃, and the wear of the transformed α-Al₂O₃ by plastic deformation, are characteristic of the rake face wear.     

Machining of β-titanium-alloy Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al under cryogenic conditions: Cooling with carbon dioxide snow

Titanium alloys are widely used in applications that demand a good combination of high strength, good corrosion resistance and low mass. Beta-Titanium alloys offer the highest specific strength among titaniumbased materials. The mechanical properties lead to challenges in machining operations such as high process temperatures, high specific mechanical loads and rapidly increasing tool wear. The high chemical reactivity of titanium leads to rapidly developing flank and notch wear limiting cutting speeds and tool life. Applying industrial gases instead of conventional cooling and lubrication fluids promises increased productivity. In this work, the effectiveness of carbon dioxide snow (CO₂) as a coolant for turning Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al is analyzed. The carbon dioxide is provided in a pressurized gas bottle and is fed to the tool tip through holes in the tool holders clamping jaw. Compared to flood emulsion cooling the flank wear was uniform spreaded and tool life was increased by a factor of two even at higher cutting speeds. Tool-life-limiting notch wear and the burr formation at the workpiece have been suppressed.     

Compact core drilling in basalt rock using PCD tool inserts: Wear characteristics and cutting forces

The hardest component of the Martian surface is believed to be basalt rock, which is highly abrasive in nature. It will be important to operate a Martian drill under conditions that are conducive to minimal tool wear. In preparation for a Mars drilling project, this paper reports results of an experimental study of dry drilling in basalt and related tool wear. It also reports the effect of the tool wear on increasing the forces and torques required when drilling in basalt rock (on earth) using polycrystalline diamond (PCD) compact core drill inserts. Force and torque data measured for a variety of cutting conditions are shown along with experimental wear data obtained while drilling in basalt rock having different strengths. It is found that flank wear, VB, and cutting edge radius, CER, wear rates increase with rock strength, VB-wear rates and CER-wear rates exhibit opposite trends in their dependence on the remainder of the cutting parameters. For example, while VB-wear rates decrease with an increase in tool feed and spindle speed values, CER-wear rates increase with increases in tool feed and remains unchanged with increases in spindle speed. VB-wear rates decrease as the rake angle becomes more negative, while CER-wear rates increase as this occurs. It is found that basalt rock strength manifests itself via larger (smaller) generated forces/torques for rocks of harder (softer) composition. Strong correlations are found between both modes of tool wear (VB and CER) and the measured values of thrust force and torque. Equations for progressive tool wear as functions of the process variables are developed. A model for the changing drill forces and torques required by the progressive tool wear is developed for drilling in basalt.     

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.     

Prediction of Tool Wear Mechanisms in Face Milling AISI 1045 Steel

Cutting tools have an important role in the machining process, since they are related to workpiece surface quality and production costs. Due to the importance of selecting appropriate cutting parameters during the milling process, this research develops empirical expressions to predict the tool wear mechanisms that a cutting tool will suffer during the milling of AISI 1045. In addition, an expression to predict the critical cutting speed value where the diffusion mechanism starts to appear is developed. AISI 1045 was selected as the workpiece material due to its excellent machinability, good abrasion resistance, and mechanical strength. The Design of Experiments method namely Taguchi was applied to reduce the time and cost of experiments. The results showed that the cutting speed is the parameter with the most influence on tool flank wear which started to appear when using V?=?500?m/min and the diffusion tool wear mechanism at V?=?850?m/min.     

Fractal geometry modeling with applications in surface characterisation and wear prediction

Manufactured surfaces such as those produced by electrical discharge machining, waterjet cutting and ion-nitriding coating can be characterized by fractal geometry. A modified Gaussian random fractal model coupled with structure functions is used to relate surface topography with fractal geometry via fractal geometry via fractal dimension (D) and topothesy (L). This fractal characterization of surface topography complements and improves conventional statistical and random process methods of surface characterization, Our fractal model for surface topography is shown to predict a primary relationship between D and the bearing area curve, while L affects this curve to a smaller degree.A fractal geometry model for wear prediction is proposed, which predicts the wear rate in terms of these two fractal parameters. Using this model we show that the wear rate V_r and the true contact area A_r have the relationship V_rα (A_r)^m(D), where m(D) is a function of D and has a value between 0.5 and 1. We next study the optimum (ie the lowest wear rate) fractal diemsnsion in a wear process. It is found that the optimum fractal dimension is affected by the contact area, material properties, and scale amplitude. Experimental results of bearing area curves and wear testing show good agreement with the two models.     

Tool life and tool wear in the semi-finish milling of inclined surfaces

Functional die and mold components have complex geometries and are made of high hardness materials, which make them difficult to machine. This work contributes to a better understanding of this type of process and of the wear mechanisms of tools used in semi-finishing operations of hardened steels for dies and molds. Several milling experiments were carried out to cut AISI H13 steel with 50 HR_C of hardness using the high-speed milling technique. The main goal was to verify the influence of workpiece surface inclination and cutting conditions on tool life and tool wear mechanisms. The main conclusions were the inclination of the machined surface strongly influences tool life and tool wear involves different mechanisms. At the beginning of tool life, the wear was caused mainly by abrasion on the flank face plus diffusion and attrition on the rake face. At the end of tool life, the mechanisms were adhesions and microchipping at the cutting edge.