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.     

The effect of cutting parameters and cutting tools on machining performance of carbon graphite material

Abstract

The present study focuses on the effects of cutting speed, feed rate and cutting tool material on the machining performance of carbon graphite material. Polycrystalline Diamond (PCD) cutting tools are used in machining experiments and its performance is compared with the tungsten carbide (WC) and Cubic Boron Nitride (CBN) tools. Machining performance criteria such as flank and nose wear and resulting surface topography and roughness of machined parts were studied. This study illustrates that feed rate and cutting tool material play a dominant role in the progressive wear of the cutting tool. The highest feed rate and cutting speed profoundly reduce the tool wear progression. The surface roughness and topography of specimens are remarkably influenced from the tool wear. Major differences are found in the wear mechanisms of PCD and WC and CBN cutting tools.     

硬质合金刀具高速车铣和铣削TC4钛合金磨损试验对比

采用H13A未涂层硬质合金刀具对TC4钛合金进行高速正交车铣和铣削试验,并从刀具磨损破损形态、磨损机理及其寿命等方面进行对比分析。研究表明:高速正交车铣和铣削钛合金时,前、后刀面主要以粘结磨损为主,车铣加工时在切削刃口易形成积屑瘤及连续切屑,但对刀具材料粘结较轻;高速铣削时,对刀具材料粘接较重,在前刀面刃口附近形成凹坑及崩刃;后刀面最大磨损的位置不相同。试验对比了相同切削条件时刀具使用寿命,结果表明采用正交车铣加工可以获得更长的刀具使用寿命。     

Experimental investigations on machinability aspects in finish hard turning of AISI 4340 steel using uncoated and multilayer coated carbide inserts

The present work deals with some machinability studies on flank wear, surface roughness, chip morphology and cutting forces in finish hard turning of AISI 4340 steel using uncoated and multilayer TiN and ZrCN coated carbide inserts at higher cutting speed range. The process has also been justified economically for its effective application in hard turning. Experimental results revealed that multilayer TiN/TiCN/Al₂O₃/TiN coated insert performed better than uncoated and TiN/TiCN/Al₂O₃/ZrCN coated carbide insert being steady growth of flank wear and surface roughness. The tool life for TiN and ZrCN coated carbide inserts was found to be approximately 19 min and 8 min at the extreme cutting conditions tested. Uncoated carbide insert used to cut hardened steel fractured prematurely. Abrasion, chipping and catastrophic failure are the principal wear mechanisms observed during machining. The turning forces (cutting force, thrust force and feed force) are observed to be lower using multilayer coated carbide insert in hard turning compared to uncoated carbide insert. From 1st and 2nd order regression model, 2nd order model explains about 98.3% and 86.3% of the variability of responses (flank wear and surface roughness) in predicting new observations compared to 1st order model and indicates the better fitting of the model with the data for multilayer TiN coated carbide insert. For ZrCN coated carbide insert, 2nd order flank wear model fits well compared to surface roughness model as observed from ANOVA study. The savings in machining costs using multilayer TiN coated insert is 93.4% compared to uncoated carbide and 40% to ZrCN coated carbide inserts respectively in hard machining taking flank wear criteria of 0.3 mm. This shows the economical feasibility of utilizing multilayer TiN coated carbide insert in finish hard turning.     

Cutting performance of coated carbide tools in high-speed face milling of AISI H13 hardened steel

In the present study, high-speed face milling of AISI H13 hardened steel was conducted to investigate the cutting performance of coated carbide tools. The characteristics of chip morphology, tool life, tool wear mechanisms, and surface roughness were analyzed and compared for different cutting conditions. It was found that as the cutting speed increased, the chip morphology evolved in different ways under different milling conditions (up, down, and symmetric milling). Individual saw-tooth segments and sphere-like chip formed at the cutting speed of 2,500 m/min. Owing to the relatively low mechanical load, longest tool life can be obtained in up milling when the cutting speed was no more than 1,000 m/min. As the cutting speed increased over 1,500 m/min, highest tool life existed in symmetric milling. When the cutting speed was 500 m/min, owing to the higher mechanical load, the flaked region on the tool rake face in symmetric milling was much larger than that in up and down milling. There was no obvious wear on the tool rake face at the cutting speed of 2,500 m/min due to the short tool-chip contact length. In symmetric milling, the delamination of tool material, which did not occur in up and down milling, was caused by the relatively large cutting force. Abrasion had great effect on the tool flank wear in symmetric milling. With the increment of cutting speed, surface roughness decreased first and then increased rapidly. Lowest surface roughness can be obtained at the cutting speed of about 1,500 m/min.     

A comparative study on performance of multilayer coated and uncoated carbide inserts when turning AISI D2 steel under dry environment

The present work deals with a comparative study on flank wear, surface roughness, tool life, volume of chip removal and economical feasibility in turning high carbon high chromium AISI D2 steel with multilayer MTCVD coated [TiN/TiCN/Al₂O₃/TiN] and uncoated carbide inserts under dry cutting environment. Higher micro hardness of TiN coated carbide samples (1880 HV) compared to uncoated carbide (1430 HV) is observed and depicts better resistance against abrasion. The low erosion rate was observed in TiN coated insert compared to uncoated carbide. The tool life of TiN coated insert is found to be approximately 30 times higher than the uncoated carbide insert under similar cutting conditions and produced lower surface roughness compared to uncoated carbide insert. The dominant wear mechanism was found to be abrasion and progression of wear was steady using multilayer TiN coated carbide insert. The developed regression model shows high determination coefficient i.e. R² = 0.977 for flank wear and 0.94 for surface roughness and accurately explains the relationship between the responses and the independent variable. The machining cost per part for uncoated carbide insert is found to be 10.5 times higher than the multilayer TiN coated carbide inserts. This indicates 90.5% cost savings using multilayer TiN coated inserts by the adoption of a cutting speed of 200 m/min coupled with a tool feed rate of 0.21 mm/rev and depth of cut of 0.4 mm. Thus, TiN coated carbide tools are capable of reducing machining costs and performs better than uncoated carbide inserts in machining D2 steel.     

高速铣削航空铝合金7050-T7451时刀具的磨损破损

分析涂层硬质合金刀具高速铣削航空铝合金7050-T7451时的磨损、破损形态,通过正交试验研究了高速铣削航空铝合金的铣削力及其变化规律,提出模拟高速铣削刀具裂纹萌生的脉冲激光热冲击试验方法,研究铣削力和热应力在刀具磨损、破损过程中的不同作用.试验和理论分析证明:高速铣削航空铝合金7050-T7451时,热应力使刀具萌生裂纹,裂纹在热应力和机械应力综合作用下扩展.研究刀具失效机理,证明:高速铣削航空铝合金时,粘结磨损和扩散磨损是主要磨损机理.提出通过提高切削系统稳定性和优化切削参数,可以有效降低机械应力对刀具的冲击作用,并在生产现场收到良好的效果.     

Wear Mechanism of Cemented Carbide Tool in High Speed Milling of Stainless Steel

Adhesion of cutting tool and chip often occurs when machining stainless steels with cemented carbide tools. Wear mechanism of cemented carbide tool in high speed milling of stainless steel 0Cr13Ni4 Mo was studied in this work. Machining tests on high speed milling of 0Cr13Ni4 Mo with a cemented carbide tool are conducted. The cutting force and cutting temperature are measured. The wear pattern is recorded and analyzed by high?speed camera, scanning electron microscope(SEM) and energy dispersive X?ray spectroscopy(EDS). It is found that adhesive wear was the dominant wear pattern causing tool failure. The process and microcosmic mechanism of the tool's adhesive wear are analyzed and discussed based on the experimental results. It is shown that adhesive wear of the tool occurs due to the wear of coating, the a nity of elements Fe and Co, and the grinding of workpiece materials to the tool material. The process of adhesive wear includes both microcosmic elements di usion and macroscopic cyclic process of adhe?sion, tearing and fracture.     

Performance studies of multilayer hard surface coatings (TiN/TiCN/Al2O3/TiN) of indexable carbide inserts in hard machining: Part-I (An experimental approach)

In recent years, hard machining using CBN and ceramic inserts became an emerging technology than traditional grinding and widely used manufacturing processes. However the relatively high cost factors associated with such tools has left a space to look for relatively low cost cutting tool materials to perform in an acceptable range. Multilayer coated carbide insert is the proposed alternative in the present study due to its low cost. Thus, an attempt has been made to have an extensive study on the machinability aspects such as flank wear, chip morphology, surface roughness in finish hard turning of AISI 4340 steel (HRC 47 ± 1) using multilayer coated carbide (TiN/TiCN/Al₂O₃/TiN) insert under dry environment. Parametric influences on turning forces are also analyzed. From the machinability study, abrasion and chipping are found to be the dominant wear mechanism in hard turning. Multilayer TiN coated carbide inserts produced better surface quality and within recommendable range of 1.6 μm i.e. comparable with cylindrical grinding. At extreme parametric conditions, the growth of tool wear was observed to be rapid thus surface quality affected adversely. The chip morphology study reveals a more favorable machining environment in dry machining using TiN coated carbide inserts. The cutting speed and feed are found to have the significant effect on the tool wear and surface roughness from ANOVA study. It is evident that, thrust force (Fy) is the largest component followed by tangential force (Fz) and the feed force (Fx) in finish hard turning. The observations yield the machining ability of multilayer TiN coated carbide inserts in hard turning of AISI 4340 steel even at higher cutting speeds.     

Comparative evaluation of machinability characteristics of Nimonic C-263 using CVD and PVD coated tools

Machining of Nimonic C-263 has always been a challenging task owing to its hot strength, low thermal conductivity, tendency to work harden and affinity towards tool materials. Although coated tools have been used to overcome some of these challenges, selection of coated tool with appropriate deposition technique is of immense significance. The current study attempts to comparatively evaluate various performance measures in machining of Nimonic C-263 such as surface roughness, cutting force, cutting temperature, chip characteristics, and tool wear with particular emphasis on different modes of tool failure for commercially available inserts with multi-component coating deposited using chemical vapour deposition (CVD) and physical vapour deposition (PVD) techniques. Influence of cutting speed (V_c) and machining duration (t) has also been investigated using both coated tools. The study demonstrated remarkable decrease in surface roughness (74.3%), cutting force (6.3%), temperature (13.4%) and chip reduction coefficient (22%) with PVD coated tool consisting of alternate layers of TiN and TiAlN over its CVD coated counterpart with TiCN/Al₂O₃ coating in bilayer configuration. Severe plastic deformation and chipping of cutting edge and nose, abrasive nose and flank wear along with formation of built-up-layer (BUL) were identified as possible mechanisms of tool failure. PVD coated tool successfully restricted different modes of tool wear for the entire range of cutting speed. Superior performance can be attributed to the hardness and wear resistance properties, thermal stability due to presence of TiAlN phase and excellent toughness owing to PVD technique and multilayer architecture.     

Cutting forces and wear in dry machining of Inconel 718 with coated carbide tools

In the machining of heat resistant super alloys used in aeronautical applications and classified as difficult-to-machine materials, the consumption of cooling lubricant during the machining operations is very important. The associated costs of coolant acquisition, use, disposal and washing the machined components are significant, up to four times the cost of consumable tooling used in the cutting operations. To reduce the costs of production and to make the processes environmentally safe, the goal of the aeronautical manufacturers is to move toward dry cutting by eliminating or minimising cutting fluids. This goal can be achieved by using coated carbide tools at high cutting speeds. To achieve this goal, different coated tools and different cutting conditions were tested in dry conditions. The elementary orthogonal cutting process was chosen, the cutting and feed cutting forces components were measured and the cutting force ratio calculated. This ratio is shown to be as an interesting indicator of tool wear. The tool wear mechanisms tool were analysed by using white light interferometer and scanning electron microscopy coupled to an energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy EDS-system. The EDS was very useful to analyse the elements deposited on the cutting tool faces. The ability of the different coatings to increase the carbide tool performance were analysed, the main wear modes were depicted. An optimisation of the cutting conditions was finally proposed and the efficiency of the coatings was shown. The results coming from uncoated tools were compared with those obtained with coated tools under the same conditions of machining. At the end, a choice of coatings is proposed and an extension of this study to an industrial machining operation is presented for future developments.     

HIGH SPEED MILLING OF GRAPHITE ELECTRODE WITH ENDMILL OF SMALL DIAMETER

Graphite becomes the prevailing electrode material in electrical discharging machining (EDM)currently.Orthogonal cutting experiments are carried out to study the characteristics of graph- ite chip formation process.High speed milling experiments are conducted to study tool wear and cutting forces.The results show that depth of cut has great influence on graphite chip formation.The removal process of graphite in high speed milling is the mutual result of cutting and grinding process. Graphite is prone to cause severe abrasion wear to coated carbide endmills due to its high abrasive- ness nature.The major patterns of tool wear are flank wear,rake wear,micro-chipping and breakage. Cutting forces can be reduced by adoption of higher cutting speed,moderate feed per tooth,smaller radial and axial depths of cut,and up cutting.     

Wear mechanism of coated tools in the turning of ductile cast iron having wide range of tensile strength

In this study different specimens of ductile cast iron with tensile strength ranking from 400 MPa to 675 MPa were turned with K15 carbide, TiN coated and TiAlN coated tool in order to investigate wear mechanism and performance. Cutting forces and cutting temperature were similar for both coated tools, however flank wear and BUE were the lowest on the TiAlN coated tool, for this reason the TiAlN coated tool is suitable in the machining of ductile cast iron. The proposed tool wear mechanism is based on like-intermittent cutting caused by the pass from hard matrix to the soft graphite occasioning wear by adhesion. The analysis of the flank wear on coated tools is proposed by means of the wear curves in logarithmic scale instead of the usual linear scale. In this way, the change in wear rate is easily observed. This phenomenon was related with the wear out of the coating layer. The partial loss of the coating layer on cutting edge was confirmed by the EDS mapping images and SEM photographs.     

Study on finish-turning of NiCr20TiAl nickel-based alloy using Al2O3/TiN-coated carbide tools

Al₂O₃/TiN-coated tungsten carbide tools were used for finish-turning of NiCr20TiAl nickel-based alloy under various cutting conditions. The cutting forces, surface integrity, and tool wear were investigated, and their formation mechanisms were discussed. The inter-diffusing and transferring of elements between Al₂O₃/TiN-coated tungsten carbide tool and NiCr20TiAl nickel-based alloy were studied during machining. The plastic flow of NiCr20TiAl alloy was present on the machined surface by the lower cutting forces. The flaking of coating and matrix of tools and the heavier plucking and cavities of the machined surface were induced by the higher cutting forces at higher cutting parameters. The tensile residual stress was engendered on the machined surface and increased with the cutting parameters. In view of surface quality and tool wear, the cutting speed of 60?min and feed of 0.15?mm/r are recommended, and depth of cut should not exceed 0.4?mm when Al₂O₃/TiN-coated carbide tools are used for the finish-turning of the NiCr20TiAl alloy.     

Evaluation on Effectiveness of CVD and PVD Coated Tools during Dry Machining of Incoloy 825

With wide applications of nickel-based superalloys in strategic fields, it has become increasingly necessary to evaluate the performance of different advanced cutting tools for machining such alloys. With a view to recommend a suitable cutting tool, the present work investigated various machinability characteristics of Incoloy 825 using an uncoated tool, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of a bilayer of TiCN/Al₂O₃, and physical vapor deposition (PVD) of alternate layers of TiAlN/TiN-coated tools under varying machining conditions. The influence of cutting speed (51, 84, and 124 m/min) as well as feed (0.08, 0.14, and 0.2 mm/rev) was comparatively evaluated on surface roughness, cutting temperature, cutting force, coefficient of friction, chip thickness, and tool wear using different cutting tools. Although the CVD-coated tool was not useful in decreasing surface roughness and temperature, a significant reduction in cutting force and tool wear could be achieved with the same coated tool under a high cutting speed of 124 m/min. On the other hand, the PVD-coated tool outperformed the other tools in terms of machinability characteristics. This might be attributed to the excellent antifriction and antisticking property of TiN and good toughness due to the multilayer configuration in combination with a thermally resistant TiAlN phase. Adhesion, abrasion, edge chipping, and nose wear were the prominent wear mechanisms of the uncoated tool, followed by the CVD-coated tool. However, remarkable resistance to such wear was evident with the PVD TiAlN/TiN multilayer-coated tool.     

钛合金零件高速铣削刀具磨损的试验研究

高速铣削钛合金时,由于切削区内的切削温度高,加剧了刀具的磨损。通过对钛合金TC4的高速铣削实验,得出带TiA lN涂层的硬质合金刀具切削钛合金TC4时的刀具磨损的变化规律和刀具耐用度公式。通过对刀具磨损特性的分析,研究结果主要是刀具表面层的粘结相Co在高温下丧失对WC颗粒的结合强度,磨损机理以高温下的粘结层撕裂磨损为主。     

清洁切削高温合金涂层刀具切削性能及加工表面完整性

针对高温合金高速干切削刀具磨损严重、加工表面质量差等突出问题,基于清洁切削技术,采用硬质合金涂层刀具进行高速铣削高温合金GH2132试验,研究干式切削、液氮不同喷射温度对涂层刀具切削性能以及加工表面完整性的影响规律,探究运用清洁切削高温合金来延长涂层刀具寿命和提高加工表面质量的可行性。研究表明：液氮低温切削GH2132时的切削合力随喷射温度的降低而增大,切削区温度在-150～-190℃喷射时已完全处于低温状态;随着液氮喷射温度的降低,刀具涂层剥落面积明显减小,且降低了黏结磨损和氧化磨损,在-150℃喷射条件下可获得较长的刀具寿命;加工表面粗糙度S_a在-30～-150℃喷射条件下获得较小值,随喷射温度的降低,加工硬化和残余拉应力分别增大和减小;与干式切削相比,液氮切削喷射温度在-150～-190℃下可显著延长涂层刀具寿命并提高加工表面质量。     

INVESTIGATION OF THE TOOL WEAR AND SURFACE FINISH IN LOW-SPEED MILLING OF STAINLESS STEEL UNDER FLOOD AND MIST LUBRICATION

This paper examines the performance of AlN/TiN coated carbide tool during milling of STAVAX® (modified AISI 420 stainless steel) at a low speed of 50 m/min under conventional flood and mist lubrication. Abrasion, chipping, fracture resulting in the formation of crater and catastrophic failure are the wear mechanisms encountered during machining under flood lubrication. The flank wear, and the likeliness of the cutting tool to fracture, chip and fail prematurely increased with an increase in the hardness of the workpiece and a reduction in the helix angle of the tool. Small quantity of mineral oil sprayed in mist form was effective in reducing the flank wear and severity of abrasion wear, and preventing the formation of crater and the occurrence of catastrophic failure. In milling 35 and 55 HRC-STAVAX® using a feed rate of 0.4 mm/tooth and a depth of cut of 0.2 mm under mist lubrication, the cutting edge of the 25° and 40° helix angle tools only suffered small-scale edge chipping and abrasive wear throughout the entire duration of testing. The influence of the ductility of the workpiece on the surface finish and the effectiveness of mist lubricant in improving the surface finish are also discussed.     

Statistical analysis of process parameters in drilling of AL/SICP metal matrix composite

Four micro-holes were made using micro-EDM on rake face of the cemented carbide (WC/TiC/Co) tools. MoS₂, CaF₂, and graphite solid lubricants were respectively embedded into the four micro-holes to form self-lubricated tools (SLT-1, SLT-2, and SLT-3). Dry machining tests on hardened steel were carried out with these self-lubricated tools and conventional tools (SLT-4). The cutting forces, average friction coefficient between tool and chip, and tool wear were measured and compared. It was shown that the cutting forces and tool wear of self-lubricated tools were clearly reduced compared with those of the SLT-4 conventional tool. The SLT-1 self-lubricated tool embedded with MoS₂ just exhibited lower friction coefficient between tool and chip in cutting speed of less than 100?m/min; the SLT-2 self-lubricated tool embedded with CaF₂ possessed lower friction coefficient in cutting speed of more than 100?m/min; and the SLT-3 self-lubricated tool embedded with graphite accomplished good lubricating behaviors steadily under the test conditions. It is indicated that cemented carbide inserts with four micro-holes on rake face embedded with appropriate solid lubricants on rake face is an effective way to reduce cutting forces and rake wear.     

The performance of PCD tools in high-speed milling of Ti6Al4V

Tool performance of conventional tools is poor and a major constraint when used in milling titanium alloys at elevated cutting speeds. At these high cutting speeds, the chemical and mechanical properties of Ti6Al4V cause complex wear mechanisms. In this paper, a fine-grain polycrystalline diamond (PCD) end mill tool was tested, and its wear behavior was studied. The performance of the PCD tool has been investigated in terms of tool life, cutting forces, and surface roughness. The PCD tool yielded longer tool life than a coated carbide tool at cutting speeds above 100?m/min. A slower wear progression was found with an increase in cutting speeds, whereas the norm is an exponential increase in tool wear at elevated speeds. Observations based on scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDAX) analysis suggest that adhesion of the workpiece is the wear main type, after which degradation of the tools accelerates probable due to the combined effect of high temperature degradation coupled with abrasion.