Cutting Tool Technology

by Ed Red

ME 482 - Manufacturing Systems

Objectives
Introduce tool terminology
Review reasons for tool wear, including failure modes Introduce cutting parameters and Taylors tool life equation Consider a tool life example Review tool materials

Review modern tool technologies (papers)

ME 482 - Manufacturing Systems

Cutting tool related terms

Single point versus multiple point Cratering wear that forms a concave region on the tool Tool life length of cutting time that a tool can be used Toughness capacity to absorb energy without failing

Hot hardness capacity to retain hardness at high temperatures

Cermet combination of TiC, TiN, TiCN (CN = carbonitride), with nickel and/or molybdenum as binders Chip breaker geometry designed into tool to break stringy chips Cutting fluid Any liquid/gas applied to improve cutting performance
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Tool wear
Abrasion - dominant cause of flank wear
Adhesion high pressure localized fusion and rupturing Diffusion Loss of hardening atoms at tool-chip boundary (contributes to crater wear) Plastic deformation contributes to flank wear Three pronounced wearing regions
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Tool life
Tool life length of cutting time that a tool can be used or a certain flank wear value has occurred (0.02)

Taylors tool life equation:

v Tn = C
(exponential again!)

v = cutting speed n = cutting exponent C = cutting constant

For turning at feed = 0.01/rev. and depth = 0.100

Note: n and C depend on speed, work material, tool material, etc. C has units of fpm and is the speed at which the tool life lasts 1 min, i.e., v Tn = C (1) n = C .
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Operators tool life

Tool life is measured by: Visual inspection of tool edge Tool breaks Fingernail test Changes in cutting sounds

Chips become ribbony, stringy

Surface finish degrades Computer interface says - power consumption up - cumulative cutting time reaches certain level - cumulative number of pieces cut reaches certain value
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Tool life example

The n and C values in Table 23.2 in the text are based on a feed rate of 0.01 in./rev and a depth of cut of 0.10 in. Determine and compare the cubic inches of steel removed for each of the following tool materials if a 15 minute tool life is required in each case: a) HSS b) ceramic Solution: Approach is to determine the MRR = v f d. We are given the feed rate and the depth of cut; thus, need to calculate the cutting speed. Given Taylors equation and the n and C values, we can solve for v and thus determine the MRR. Given the MRR, we multiply it by the cutting time to get the volume of material removed.
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Tool life example

Solution for HSS: From Table 23.2, n = 0.125 and C = 200 ft/min (for steel cutting) From v Tn = C we solve for v: v = 200/(15)0.125= 142.6 ft/min Now, get the MRR: MRR = (142.6) (12) (0.01) (0.10) = 1.71 in3/min

Volume removed in 15 min is (15) (1.71) = 25.66 in3

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Tool life example

Solution for ceramic: From Table 23.2: n = 0.6 and C = 10,000 ft/min From v Tn = C we solve for v:

v = 10,000/(15)0.6= 1969.5 ft/min

Now, get the MRR: MRR = (1969.5) (12) (0.01) (0.10) = 23.63 in3/min Volume removed in 15 min is (15) (23.63) = 354.5 in3 Ceramic about an order-of-magnitude more effective than HSS!
ME 482 - Manufacturing Systems

Cutting tool materials

Plain carbon and low alloy steels rarely used today

High-speed steel (HSS) primary alloys are tungsten (AISI T grade > 12%) or molybdenum (M grade, 5 8%).... sometimes coated with TiN to improve performance, toughness good
Cast cobalt alloys cobalt (50%), chromium (30%), and tungsten (20%), improved wear resistance, but toughness < HSS
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Cutting tool materials

Cemented carbides, cermets, and coated carbides related materials that are a composite of ceramic and metallic materials. Cemented carbides use tungsten carbides.cermets use titanium carbides. Coated carbides use coatings of TiC or Al2O3 to improve wear properties. Higher WC contents in cemented carbides detrimental to steel cutting (affinity of steel with carbon in WC), but ok for other metals. Alloying with TiC and TaC reduces this problem. Ceramics Primarily Al2O3... not good in dynamic (higher speeds, shock) cutting situations.
+ Hardness ME 482 - Manufacturing Systems

Cutting tool materials

Synthetic polycrystalline diamond (SPD) and cubic boron nitride (CBN) typically used as coating on base tool material such as WCCothere is an affinity of SPD with iron and nickel; CBN does not have this affinity expensive.

+ Hardness ME 482 - Manufacturing Systems

Cutting tool materials HSS alloying

Element
Tungsten

Properties
Increases hot hardness Hard carbides formed, improving abrasion resistance Increases hot hardness Hard carbides formed, improving abrasion resistance Depth hardenability during heat treat Hard carbides formed, improving abrasion resistance Some corrosion resistance Combines with carbon for wear resistance Retards grain growth for better toughness Increases hot hardness, toughness Hardening element Forms carbides

Molybdenum

Chromium

Vanadium

Cobalt Carbon

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Cutting tool materials

Most modern cutting tool materials are a matrix of materials designed to be very hard. Important terms are toughness, hardness and hot hardness. Note that the rake angle is chosen small (near 0 deg) for the harder, more brittle tool materials to keep the tool in compression. U (Specific Energy) is a measure of toughness, while the table shows typical hardness values at room temperature for cutting tool materials. The figure shows how hardness degrades with increasing temperature.

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Cemented carbide classification

Non-steel cutting Al, Cu, Brass, Ti Cast iron Wear resistance C1 Roughing Toughness C2 General purpose C3 Finishing C5 C6 C7 % Cobalt Steel cutting % TiC for steel cutting grades

C4 Precision finishing C8

No TiC, TaC

Contain TiC, TaC

Abrasive wear resistance Crater wear resistance

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Cutting tool geometry

7 elements of a single point tool geometry

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Milling tool geometry

Face cutter

Chamfering cutter

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Cutting tool geometry

Mini-cutters

Coated tools

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Cutting fluids

Lubricants purpose is to reduce friction usually oil based Coolants purpose is to transport heat usually water based Both lose their effectiveness at higher cutting speeds!

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High speed machining characteristics

Question does Taylors equation even apply for HSM?

> 500 linear in/min spindle speeds > 10,000 rpm surface cutter speeds > 1200 ft/min spindles in the 50 hp range head tilt speeds > 1000 deg/min balanced tool holders problems with tool deflection

must operate within machine harmonics

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High speed machining at Remmele

Remmele's High Speed and High Velocity technology provide distinct advantages in increasing product performance.
Weight Reduction (thin walls to 0.010"/0.25mm) Time Savings Reduced Distortions and Warping

High Speed Machining is high volume metal removal within a range of high surface-cutting speeds (feet per minute) and feeds (in/min).
High Velocity Machining exhibits significant reduction in machining forces and power absorption, and dramatically shifts the heat energy distribution from the cutter/workpiece to the chip.
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Cutting tools review questions:

Of the following cutting conditions, which one has the greatest effect on tool wear? (a) cutting speed, (b) depth of cut, or (c) feed. Answer: (a) As an alloying ingredient in high-speed steel, tungsten serves which of the following functions (more than one answer)? (a) forms hard carbides to resist abrasion, (b) improves strength and hardness, (c) increases corrosion resistance, and (d) increases hot hardness. Answer: (a), (b), (d) Cast cobalt alloys typically contain which of the following main ingredients (more than one answer)? (a) aluminum, (b) cobalt, (c) chromium, (d) nickel, and (e) tungsten. Answer: (b), (c), (e)

ME 482 - Manufacturing Systems

Cutting tools review questions:

Which of the following is not a common ingredient in cemented carbide cutting tools (more than one answer)? (a) Al203, (b) Co, (c) CrC, (d) TiC, and (e) WC. Answer: (a), (c) An increase in cobalt content has which of the following effects on WC-Co cemented carbides (one best answer)? (a) decreases transverse rupture strength, (b) increases hardness, (c) increases toughness. Answer: (c) Steel cutting grades of cemented carbide are typically not characterized by which of the following ingredients (more than one answer)? (a) Co, (b) Ni, (c) TiC, (d) TaC, and (e) WC.
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Answer: (b)

Cutting tools review questions:

Which of the following processes are used to provide the thin coatings on the surface of coated carbide inserts (more than one answer)? (a) chemical vapor deposition, (b) electroplating, (c) physical vapor deposition, or (d) pressing and sintering. Answer: (a), (c) Which of the following materials has the highest hardness? (a) aluminum oxide, (b) cubic boron nitride, (c) high speed steel, (d) titanium carbide, or (e) tungsten carbide. Answer: (b) If you had to select a cemented carbide for an application involving the finish turning of steel, which of the following grades would you select (one best answer)? (a) C1, (b) C3, (c) C5, or (d) C7. Answer: (d)
ME 482 - Manufacturing Systems

Cutting tools review questions:

Which of the following are the two main functions of a cutting fluid in machining (two answers only)? (a) improve surface finish on the workpiece, (b) reduce forces and power, (c) reduce friction at the tool-chip interface, (d) remove heat from the process, and (e) wash away chips. Answer: (c), (d)

ME 482 - Manufacturing Systems