Built-up edge effects on process outputs of titanium alloy micro milling

Built-up edge (BUE) is generally known to cause surface finish problems in the micro milling process. The loose particles from the BUE may be deposited on the machined surface, causing surface roughness to increase. On the other hand, a stable BUE formation may protect the tool from rapid tool wear, which hinders the productivity of the micro milling process. Despite its common presence in practice, the influence of BUE on the process outputs of micro milling has not been studied in detail. This paper investigates the relationship between BUE formation and process outputs in micro milling of titanium alloy Ti6Al4V using an experimental approach. Micro end mills used in this study are fabricated to have a single straight edge using wire electrical discharge machining. An initial experimental effort was conducted to study the relationship between micro cutting tool geometry, surface roughness, and micro milling process forces and hence conditions to form stable BUE on the tool tip have been identified. The influence of micro milling process conditions on BUE size, and their combined effect on forces, surface roughness, and burr formation is investigated. Long-term micro milling experiment was performed to observe the protective effect of BUE on tool life. The results show that tailored micro cutting tools having stable BUE can be designed to machine titanium alloys with long tool life with acceptable surface quality.     

Evaluation of machining performance in cryogenic machining of Inconel 718 and comparison with dry and MQL machining

There has been significant work on establishing relationships between machining performance and the cutting parameters for various work materials. Recent trends in machining research show that major efforts are being made to understand the impact of various cooling/lubrication methods on machining performance and surface integrity characteristics, all aimed at improving process and product performance. This study presents the experimental results of cryogenic machining of Inconel 718, a high-temperature aerospace alloy, and comparison of its performance in dry and minimum quantity lubrication machining. Experimental data on force components, progressive tool wear parameters such as flank wear, notch wear, crater wear, cutting temperature, chip morphology, and surface roughness/topography of machined samples are presented. New findings show that cryogenic machining is a promising research direction for machining of high-temperature aerospace alloy, Inconel 718, as it offers improved machining performance in terms of reduced tool wear, temperature, and improved surface quality. It was also found that the number of nozzles in cryogenic machining plays a vital role in controlling cutting forces and power consumption in cryogenic machining of Inconel 718.     

球头铣刀高速切削Inconel 718的刀具磨损研究

为了实现航空高温合金的高速高效加工,通过对Inconel718的铣削试验,分析了涂层球头铣刀切削高温合金时的加工性能。试验结果表明,乳化液在90m/min的切削速度下仍然具有较好的冷却润滑作用。通过对TiAlN涂层和TiAlN+Al2O3涂层刀具的对比试验,证明TiAlN涂层具有优异的耐磨性,可显著提高加工高温合金时的刀具寿命。     

Dry machining of aluminum for proper selection of cutting tool: tool performance and tool wear

Machining of aluminum and its alloy is very difficult due to the adhesion and diffusion of aluminum, thus the formation of built-up edge (BUE) on the surface. The BUE, which affects the surface integrity and tool life significantly, affects the service and performance of the workpiece. The minimization of BUE was carried out by selection of proper cutting speed, feed, depth of cut, and cutting tool material. This paper presents machining of rolled aluminum at cutting speeds of 336, 426, and 540 m/min, the feeds of 0.045, 0.06, and 0.09 mm/rev, and a constant depth of cut of 0.2 mm in dry condition. Five cutting tools WC SPUN grade, WC SPGN grade, WC + PVD (physical vapor deposition) TiN coating, WC + Ti (C, N) + Al₂O₃ PVD multilayer coatings, and PCD (polycrystalline diamond) were utilized for the experiments. The surface roughness produced, total flank wear, and cut chip thicknesses were measured. The characterization of the tool was carried out by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern. The chip underface was analyzed for the study of chip deformation produced after machining. The results indicated that the PCD tool provides better results in terms of roughness, tool wear, and smoother chip underface. It provides promising results in all aspects.     

Surface generation modeling of micro milling process with stochastic tool wear

Micro milling is widely used to manufacture miniature parts and features at high quality with low set-up cost. To achieve a higher quality of existing micro products and improve the milling performance, a reliable analytical model of surface generation is the prerequisite as it offers the foundation for surface topography and surface roughness optimization. In the micro milling process, the stochastic tool wear is inevitable, but the deep influence of tool wear hasn't been considered in the micro milling process operation and modeling. Therefore, an improved analytical surface generation model with stochastic tool wear is presented for the micro milling process. A probabilistic approach based on the particle filter algorithm is used to predict the stochastic tool wear progression, linking online measurement data of cutting forces and tool vibrations with the state of tool wear. Meanwhile, the influence of tool run-out is also considered since the uncut chip thickness can be comparable to feed per tooth compared with that in conventional milling. Based on the process kinematics, tool run-out and stochastic tool wear, the cutting edge trajectory for micro milling can be determined by a theoretical and empirical coupled method. At last, the analytical surface generation model is employed to predict the surface topography and surface roughness, along with the concept of the minimum chip thickness and elastic recovery. The micro milling experiment results validate the effectiveness of the presented analytical surface generation model under different machining conditions. The model can be a significant supplement for predicting machined surface prior to the costly micro milling operations, and provide a basis for machining parameters optimization.     

Cutting performance of nano-crystalline diamond (NCD) coating in micro-milling of Ti6Al4V alloy

Hard coatings are an important factor affecting the cutting performance of tools. In particular, they directly affect tool life, cutting forces, surface quality and burr formation in the micro-milling process. In this study, the performance of nano-crystalline diamond (NCD) coated tools was evaluated by comparing it with TiN-coated, AlCrN-coated and uncoated carbide tools in micro-milling of Ti₆Al₄V alloy. A series of micro-milling tests was carried out to determine the effects of coating type and machining conditions on tool wear, cutting force, surface roughness and burr size. Flat end-mill tools with two flutes and a diameter of 0.5 mm were used in the micro-milling process. The minimum chip thickness depending on both the cutting force and the surface roughness were determined. The results showed that the minimum chip thickness is about 0.3 times that of the cutter corner radius for Ti₆Al₄V alloy and changes very little with coating type. It was observed from wear tests that the dominant wear mechanism was abrasion. Maximum wear occurred on NCD-coated and uncoated tools. In addition, maximum burr size was obtained in the cutting process with the uncoated tool.     

微径铣刀及微细铣削技术的研究进展

介绍了微径铣刀在制造工艺、刀具性能、刀具材料和涂层技术方面的研究进展;讨论了微细铣削技术在表面粗糙度及毛刺、切削力、刀具磨损及寿命等切削机理以及对微小零件加工能力的研究成果和发展前景。     

An online optical system for inspecting tool condition in milling of H13 tool steel and IN 718 alloy

Tool wear adversely affects surface integrity due to higher cutting forces and temperatures. However, an accurate and efficient tool wear measurement is a challenging problem. The traditional direct tool wear measurement methods such as optical microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM) leads to error of tool reassembly, tool orientation, and low accuracy, while the indirect measurement methods cause poor accuracy. In this paper, tool wear phenomena in milling of tool steel AISI H13 and superalloy Inconel 718 have been studied. A novel online optical system has been developed to integrate with a CNC machine to directly inspect and measure tool wear conditions in milling which minimizes the above-mentioned measurement errors in traditional methods. The evolutions of tool flank wear of PVD-coated inserts in end milling of the two materials were inspected to demonstrate the function of the optical measurement system. The tool wear evolution versus cutting time were obtained and examined. The characteristic images of fast tool wear in milling of Inconel 718 were captured using SEM and compared with the optical images to estimate flank wear. Three basic modes of tool wear—flank wear, nose wear, and crater wear—were compared and analyzed. A two-parameter method has been developed to evaluate both flank wear and nose wear with respect to cutting time in milling of Inconel 718. The advantages of the on-line optical tool inspection system were discussed.     

Chip Formation Mechanism of Inconel 718:A Review of Models and Approaches

Inconel 718,a nickel,chrome and iron alloy,has special advantages,such as high-temperature strength,thermal resistance and corrosion resistance,which facilitate wide usage in the aerospace industry,especially in the hot sec-tions of gas turbine engines.However,machining this alloy is correlated closely with the material's inherent properties such as excellent combination of strength,hardness and toughness,low thermal conductivity and the tendency to adhere to cutting tools.This nickel alloy also contains inclusions of hard abrasive carbide particles that lead to work-hardening of the workpiece material and thus abrasive wear of the cutting tool.That is,the machining of Inconel 718 is always influenced by high mechanical and thermal loads.This article reviews the chip formation mechanism of Inconel 718.One of the main characteristics in machining of Inconel 718 is that it will produce serrated or segmented chips in a wide range of cutting speeds and feeds.Existing studies show that the chip serration or segmentation by shear localization affects the machined surface integrity,and also contributes to the chip's evacuation and the auto-mation of machining operations.Thus,research conclusion indicates that the serrated or segmented chip phenom-enon is desirable in reducing the level of cutting force,and detailed analysis of models and approaches to understand the chip formation mechanism of Inconel 718 is vital for machining this alloy effectively and efficiently.Therefore,this article presents some summaries on the models and approaches on the chip formation in machining of Inconel 718.     

Numerical simulation of orthogonal machining process using multilayer and single-layer coated tools

The tool edge radius significantly affects material deformation and flow, tool?Cchip friction, and a variety of machining performance measures (such as the cutting forces and tool wear) in mechanical micro/meso-scale machining. The tool edge-related research, either theoretically or experimentally, has been only focused in machining cases in which no built-up edge (BUE) is generated. To close this research gap, a comparative study of sharp and round-edge tools in orthogonal machining with BUE formation is conducted, including both experimental investigations and theoretical modeling. The experimental results show that the variations of the cutting forces are more stable in machining with a sharp tool than those in machining with a round-edge tool. A round-edge tool produces higher vibration magnitudes than does a sharp tool. The cutting vibrations do not necessarily have the same varying pattern as that of the cutting forces in machining with either a sharp tool or a round-edge tool. A neural network-based theoretical model is developed to predict three distinct regions of BUE formation (namely BUE Initiation Region, Steady BUE Region, and Unsteady BUE Region) in machining with a round-edge tool. The developed neural network model has been proven valid using a separate set of cutting experiments under different cutting conditions from those used for network training and testing.     

Analysis of tool wear patterns in finishing turning of Inconel 718

This paper focuses on the analysis of tool wear mechanisms in finishing turning of Inconel 718, one of the most used Ni alloys, both in wet and dry cutting. Cemented carbides, ceramics and CBN tools are suitable for machining Ni alloys; coated carbide tools are competitive for machining operations of Ni alloys and widely used in industry. Commercial coated carbide tools (multilayer coating TiAl/TiAlN recommended for machining Ni alloys) were studied in this work. The feasibility of two inserts tested for dry cutting of Inconel 718 has been shown in the work. Experimental test were performed in order to analyze wear patterns evolution. It was found great influence of side cutting edge angle in tool wear mode.     

微铣金属表面微沟槽结构的粗糙度及形貌分析

为了提高和改善微沟槽表面质量,设计了高速微铣削实验,研究了微沟槽底面表面粗糙度和侧壁残留毛刺的变化规律。从理论角度引入了已加工表面的形成机理,建立了微观表面粗糙度理论模型,提出了刀具跳动对侧壁形貌变化影响的规律。利用三轴联动精密微细铣削机床加工微细直沟槽,并选取主轴转速、轴向切深、进给速度、刀具跳动量和材料组织结构为研究因素。采用多因素正交实验和极差分析法,对表面粗糙度值进行数值分析。铝合金,钢和钛合金三类微沟槽底面对应的最佳表面粗糙度值变化范围分别为1.073~1.481 μm,0.485~0.883 μm,0.235~0.267 μm;无刀具跳动钛合金微沟槽壁毛刺的最大高度为7.637 μm,而当刀具存在0.3 μm的径向综合跳动量时对应的微槽壁毛刺的最大高度为21.79 μm。铣削参数对表面粗糙度值的影响按从大到小依次为进给速度、主轴转速、轴向切深,且随着进给速度和轴向切深的增大,表面粗糙度值增大;随着主轴转速的增大,表面粗糙度值先减小后增大;在相同加工条件下,若微圆弧刀刃无磨损,微刀具的跳动量对微直沟槽侧壁表面质量有较大影响。同时,不同金属材料特性也是影响微沟槽表面质量的潜在因素。     

Study of surface quality in machining nickel-based alloy Inconel 718

In machining operation, the surface quality is one of the most important requirements for many workpieces. Because of the special physical and chemical properties, good-machined surface quality becomes a key issue to solve in machining Inconel 718. In this paper, PVD-TiAlN-coated carbide tools were used to turn Inconel 718. Based on observing the tool wear and machined surface morphology, the main factors affecting surface quality at different cutting speeds were analyzed. The optimal cutting temperature was calculated, according to the above analysis and Archard adhesion wear model, and further cutting parameters optimization was conducted, on the basis of the proposed optimal cutting temperature. The optimized cutting parameters based on optimal cutting temperature can be considered to improve surface quality.     

Finish Machining of Nickel-Base Inconel 718 Alloy with Coated Carbide Tool under Conventional and High-Pressure Coolant Supplies

Single-point turning of Inconel 718 alloy with commercially available Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD)-coated carbide tools under conventional and high-pressure coolant supplies up to 20.3 MPa was carried out. Tool life, surface roughness (Ra), tool wear, and component forces were recorded and analyzed. The test results show that acceptable surface finish and improved tool life can be achieved when machining Inconel 718 with high coolant pressures. The highest improvement in tool life (349%) was achieved when machining with 11 MPa coolant supply pressure at higher speed conditions of 60 m · min^?1. Machining with coolant pressures in excess of 11 MPa at cutting speeds up to 40 m · min^?1 lowered tool life more than when machining under conventional coolant flow at a feed rate of 0.1 mm · rev^?1. This suggests that there is a critical coolant pressure under which the cutting tools performed better under high-pressure coolant supplies.

Cutting forces increased with increasing cutting speed due probably to reactive forces introduced by the high-pressure coolant jet. Tool wear/wear rate increased gradually with prolonged machining with high coolant pressures due to improved coolant access to the cutting interface, hence lowering cutting temperature. Nose wear was the dominant tool failure mode when machining with coated carbide tools due probably to a reduction in the chip-tool and tool-workpiece contact length/area.     

Development of a novel cubic boron nitride cutting tool with a textured flank face for high-speed machining of Inconel 718

Nickel-based superalloys such as Inconel 718 offer several advantages, including high-temperature strength and high corrosion resistance; this has led to a rapid increase in the demand for such materials, particularly in the aircraft industry. In contrast, these alloys are known to be among the most difficult-to-cut materials because of their mechanical and chemical properties, and tools used for this purpose have extremely short lifetimes. Recently, cubic boron nitride (CBN), which is the second hardest of all known materials, has received significant attention as a material for cutting tools and has already established itself in many fields of application. However, the performance of CBN tools is still insufficient for practical use, especially in the high-speed machining of Inconel 718. To overcome this problem, we first conducted orthogonal cutting experiments on Inconel 718 and performed cross-sectional observations of the CBN cutting tool in order to identify its wear mechanisms in continuous cutting operations under high-speed machining conditions (300 m/min). As a result, it was found that fatal tool failure occurs through crater and flank wear because of diffusion led by high cutting temperatures and subsequent chip adhesion to the tool flank face, accompanied by cutting edge chipping. Based on these results, a CBN cutting tool with a textured flank face was newly developed to improve the cutting tool life. Experimental: results showed that micro grooves generated on the flank face significantly suppressed the cutting edge chipping and remarkably extended the lifetime of the CBN tool during high-speed machining of Inconel 718.     

Tool wear and hole quality investigation in dry helical milling of Ti-6Al-4V alloy

This paper focused on combined study on the evolution of tool wear and its influence on borehole quality in dry helical milling of Ti-6Al-4V. The carbide tools with TiAlN coating were used in this experimental investigation. The tool wear characteristics both at front and periphery cutting edges were investigated using an optical microscope and SEM-EDS techniques. The experimental results demonstrate that the combined effects of chipping/fracture, diffusion, and oxidation have significant bearings on front cutting edge failure, while the flank wear was predominant at the periphery cutting edges. The cutting speed was correlated with tool failure mechanizes, and the different wear rates at front and periphery cutting edge caused different variation trends of cutting force in thrust and horizontal direction during hole-making process. The quality of machined holes was evaluated in terms of geometry accuracy, burr formation, and surface roughness. The exit-burrs of machined hole were closely correlated with front cutting edge wear. However, high hole quality was observed even the near end of tool life from the point of view of diameters, roundness error, and surface finish due to the smooth wear pattern at periphery cutting edges. Severe tool wear at front cutting edges will cause excessive exit-burrs, but it has no obvious effect on geometry and surface roughness in helical milling of Ti-6Al-4V.     

Intelligent optimization and selection of machining parameters in finish turning and facing of Inconel 718

The heat-resistant super alloy material like Inconel 718 machining is an inevitable and challenging task even in modern manufacturing processes. This paper describes the genetic algorithm coupled with artificial neural network (ANN) as an intelligent optimization technique for machining parameters optimization of Inconel 718. The machining experiments were conducted based on the design of experiments full-factorial type by varying the cutting speed, feed, and depth of cut as machining parameters against the responses of flank wear and surface roughness. The combined effects of cutting speed, feed, and depth of cut on the performance measures of surface roughness and flank wear were investigated by the analysis of variance. Using these experimental data, the mathematical model and ANN model were developed for constraints and fitness function evaluation in the intelligent optimization process. The optimization results were plotted as Pareto optimal front. Optimal machining parameters were obtained from the Pareto front graph. The confirmation experiments were conducted for the optimal machining parameters, and the betterment has been proved.     

Improving machinability of Inconel 718 with a new hybrid machining technique

In this paper, by joining three non-traditional machining methods — plasma-enhanced machining, cryogenic machining, and ultrasonic vibration assisted machining — a new hybrid machining technique for machining of Inconel 718 is presented. Cryogenic machining reduces the temperature in the cutting zone, and therefore decrease tool wear and increases tool life, while plasma-enhanced machining helps to increase the temperature in the workpiece to make it softer. Also, applying ultrasonic vibrations to the tool helps to improve cutting quality and to prolong tool life by lowering, mainly, the cutting force and improving the dynamic cutting stability. This study experimentally investigates the effect of cutting parameters on cutting performance in the machining of Inconel 718 and compares the results of hybrid machining and conventional machining (CM). It is found that the hybrid method results in better surface finish and improves tool life in hard cutting at low cutting speeds as compared to the CM method.     

Surface roughness modeling in Laser-assisted End Milling of Inconel 718

Inconel 718 is a difficult-to-machine material while products of this material require good surface finish. Therefore, it is essential for the evaluation and prediction of surface roughness of machined Inconel 718 workpiece to be developed. An analytical model for the prediction of surface roughness under laser-assisted end milling of Inconel 718 is proposed based on kinematics of tool movement and elastic response of workpiece. The actual tool trajectory is first predicted with the consideration of overall tool movement, elastic deformation of tool, and the tool tip profile. The tool movements include the translation in feed direction and the rotation along its axis. The elastic deformation is calculated based on the previously established milling force prediction model. The tool tip profile is predicted based on the tool tip radius and angle. The machined surface profile is simulated based on the tool trajectory with elastic recovery, which is considered through the comparison between the minimum thickness and actual cutting thickness. Experiments are conducted in both conventional and laser-assisted milling under seven different sets of cutting parameters. Through the comparison between the analytical predictions and experimental measurements, the proposed model has high accuracy with the maximum error less than 27%, which is more accurate for lower feed rate with error less than 3%. The proposed analytical model is valuable for providing a fast, credible, and physics-based method for the prediction of surface roughness in milling process.     

Design of micro square endmills for hard milling applications

In experiments of machining hardened tool steels (such as AISI H11, H13, and D2, up to 56 HRC) by commercial ? 0.5?mm square endmills, it is observed that the tested micro endmills showed severe wear at an early stage of the process due to chipping off around cutting edge corners, resulting in unsatisfactory tool life and product appearance (burr formation). Detailed examination of current tool geometry shows that it is mainly inherited from that of macro endmills, making the cutting edge corners the weakest part on the tool. As the micromilling process is characterized by small values of machining parameters, the cutting edge corners of the micro endmill are the most loaded part of the cutting edges. New design rules are studied for improving the stiffness and strength of micro endmills used in micro hard milling applications. Analytical modelling and finite element method analysis are used to aid the design of tool geometry. By using a larger neck angle, optimizing tool core geometry, and choosing a negative rake angle, tool stiffness and cutting edge strength are improved. The new endmill designs, both two-flute and four-flute, are tested in experiments on hardened tool steels and showed considerable lower tool wear and increased tool life. Furthermore, the geometrical accuracy and appearance of the workpiece (burr formation) has been improved drastically.