Title: High speed turning for hard material with PCBN inserts: tool wear analysis

Authors: Farouk Mahfoudi, Gautier List, Alain Molinari, Abdelhadi Moufki, Lakhdar Boulanouar

Addresses: Annaba University (Center of Souk Ahras), Algeria; Laboratoire de Recherche en Mecanique des Materiaux et Maintenance Industrielle (LR3MI), Badji Mokhtar University, BP 12, Annaba 23000, Algeria. ' Paul Verlaine University, Metz, France; Laboratoire de Physique et Mecanique des Materiaux (UMR CNRS 7554), Ile du Saulcy, F-57045 Metz Cedex 01, France. ' Paul Verlaine University, Metz, France. ' Paul Verlaine University, Metz, France. ' Annaba University, Algeria

Abstract: Because of tool wear, High Speed Machining (HSM) is rarely used for hard turning process and the cutting speeds are generally selected around 100 or 200 m/min. In this work, HSM is performed for hard turning of a 50 HRC hardened steel (AISI 4140/42CrMo4) with a PCBN tool by using high cutting speeds (300 and 400 m/min). The results show that HSM for hard turning can be acceptable for industrial application by providing very good surface roughness and keeping significant tool life. A qualitative correlation is also presented between the crater wear and the temperature distribution at the tool-chip interface, predicted by a thermomechanical model. Flank wear, crater wear and surface roughness are examined in order to choose an appropriate wear criterion. Investigations by SEM/EDS and white light interferometry highlight the importance of crater wear and help us to better understand the role of chemical/diffusion phenomena in wear mechanisms.

Keywords: hard turning; high speed machining; HSM; crater wear; PCBN tooling; PCBN inserts: tool wear; hardened steel; cutting speeds; surface roughness; tool life; temperature distribution; tool-chip interface; thermomechanical modelling; flank wear.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMMM.2008.017625

International Journal of Machining and Machinability of Materials, 2008 Vol.3 No.1/2, pp.62 - 79

Published online: 23 Mar 2008 *

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