Evaluation of carbide grades and a new cutting geometry for machining titanium alloys

A new cutting geometry consisting of a high clearance angle (from 10° to 15°) together with a high negative rake angle (from ?10° to ?15°) is proposed for increasing cemented tungsten carbide tool life during the machining of titanium alloys. This geometry would allow the use of a conventional insert (with an included angle of 90°) of any suitable shape (e.g. round, square or triangular) on a modified tool holder. The new geometry is found to yield longer tool life than does a high clearance angle (+15°) alone or a conventional tool with a low negative rake angle (?5°) and a low clearance angle (+5°). Further, the lower cobalt grade (Carboloy grade 999) and finer carbide grain size tools (Carboloy grade 895) are found to yield longer tool life than the higher cobalt grade medium carbide grain size tools (Carboloy grade 883), which are currently the most commonly used grade. A new ceramic tool material, an Si-Al-O-N compound, is found not to be suitable for machining titanium alloys because of rapid wear.