Machinability aspects concerning micro-turning of PA66-GF30-reinforced polyamide

This paper aims to study the behavior of machining forces and machined surface finish when micro-turning PA66-GF30-reinforced polyamide with various tool materials under distinct cutting conditions. The performance of polycrystalline diamond (PCD), CVD diamond coated carbide and plain cemented carbide tools (K15-KF and K15) were investigated in addition to the influence of feed rate on cutting forces, surface roughness and chip formation. The results indicated that the radial force was the highest force component because of the reduction in the effective cutting edge angle. Moreover, the cutting force increased almost linearly with feed, whereas the feed and radial forces remained unaltered. The cutting tools possessing lower edge radius promoted lower surface finish and turning forces, i.e., the best results were provided by the PCD tool, followed by the uncoated carbide inserts and finally by the CVD diamond-coated carbide tool.