Title: Experimental study on machining of titanium alloy (Ti64) by CVD and PVD coated carbide inserts

Authors: S. Ramesh, L. Karunamoorthy, V.S. Senthilkumar, K. Palanikumar

Addresses: Department of Mechanical and Production Engineering, Sathyabama University, Chennai 600 119, India. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Central Workshop, Anna University, Chennai 600 025, India. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Central Workshop, Anna University, Chennai 600 025, India. ' Department of Mechanical and Production Engineering, Sathyabama University, Chennai 600 119, India

Abstract: Titanium is a material which is used in aerospace and other industries is difficult to machine. Due to the growing acceptance of titanium in many industries, near-nett shape of these materials by machining cannot be eliminated fully. There are problems encountered when machining titanium in shops working with aircraft alloys. Machining of titanium alloys requires cutting forces slightly higher than those needed to machine steels, but these alloys have metallurgical characteristics that make them more difficult to machine than steels of equivalent hardness. The beta alloys are the most difficult titanium alloys to machine. This paper discusses the study of metallurgical and microstructure analysis of Ti-6Al-4V alloys. Experiments were carried out using two different inserts having different coating methods (PVD and CVD) and different nose radius (0.8 mm and 1.2 mm). The performance of machining has been studied in terms of cutting force, tool wear and surface finish.

Keywords: titanium alloys; Ti64; microstructure; nose radius; surface finish; CVD; PVD; coated carbide inserts; titanium machining; aircraft alloys; cutting forces; metallurgy; tool wear; surface finish.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMTM.2009.023954

International Journal of Manufacturing Technology and Management, 2009 Vol.17 No.4, pp.373 - 385

Published online: 22 Mar 2009 *

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