S. Lo Casto

Wear mechanism of ceramic tools

Abstract Cutting tests were performed using ceramic cutting tools under continuous cutting conditions. The tests were carried out on AISI 1040 steel, with cutting speeds ranging from 5 to 11 m s −1 . The wear mechanism was investigated for both crater and flank. Alumina-toughened zirconia of submicron grain size showed the best wear resistance. Alumina with TiC, TiN and ZrO 2 inclusions exhibited a wear resistance a little lower than the above-mentioned materials. Low chemical stability seems to be the reason for the poor performances of the silicon carbide whiskers-reinforced alumina, silicon nitride and the tungsten carbide inserts.

Ceramic materials wear mechanisms when cutting nickel-based alloys

Abstract In this paper the performances of some commercial ceramic inserts when cutting AISI 310 steel are investigated and compared to those of a traditional carbide based tool. The most important wear mechanism in the ceramic inserts is related to the segmented edges of the chips that abrade a notch at the end of the cut zone. Alumina–zirconia inserts are very sensitive to this kind of wear, whereas tools made of Sialon and alumina with SiC whiskers exhibit slightly better performances despite the concomitant chemical wear mechanisms.

The performance of molybdenum toughened alumina cutting tools in turning a particulate metal matrix composite

In this paper, a study of the tool wear mechanism in turning aluminium alloy reinforced with alumina using molybdenum-toughened alumina tools is presented. Alumina tools with three different amounts (15, 20 and 25 vol.%) of molybdenum were prepared and tested. The wear type was identified and its evolution with cutting time was measured. The results show that the main mechanism of tool wear is abrasion and not heat. The best overall performance was achieved, as far as flank wear is concerned, using the tool with 20 vol.% of molybdenum added. This has been explained using some of the composites intrinsic properties. SEM examination revealed that molybdenum particles are easily torn from the matrix by flowing chips. Under these conditions the molybdenum particles are not able to carry out their toughening action and they are responsible for the flank wear. Some ideas have been proposed as to engineer the alumina/molybdenum interface in order to increase their adhesion and the composite toughness.

Cutting Temperatures Evaluation in Ceramic Tools: Experimental Tests, Numerical Analysis and SEM Observations

The authors propose a multiple approach for the evaluation of cutting temperatures in ceramic tools. The first approach was the experimental evaluation of equitemperature lines, obtained in three-dimensional cutting by employing constant melting point powders scattered on planes parallel to rake face. In the second approach, a numerical finite element analysis was performed. At this step the determination of the percentage of total heat produced in the operation that flows into the tool was considered and, consequently, the temperature distribution within the whole volume of the insert. Finally, the examination of the crater zone with SEM microscopy confirmed the temperature levels as previous estimated.

Wear performance of ceramic cutting tool materials when cutting steel

Abstract Some test cycles have been carried out in continuous cutting conditions, employing cutting parameters (feed, depth of cut and cutting speed) chosen following experimental planes and suitable test fields. The wear tests have been carried out on AISI 1040 steel with cutting speeds from 5m/sec to 11m/sec. The silicon nitride, sintered carbide, cubic boron nitride and alumina reinforced with SiC whiskers inserts, have shown, at each assigned cutting parameter, poor wear resistance when cutting steel. Alumina and alumina in submicron grain, which has been toughened by ZrO2 phase transformation, and the oxide-based alumina, have been the better wear resistance. The mixed based alumina has shown a wear resistance, a little lower than the previous materials. The low chemical stability seems to be the reason for the poor performances of the silicon nitride and the silicon carbide whiskers reinforced alumina inserts. The high wear rate of the sintered carbide and the cubic boron nitride is essentially due to the pull out of the ceramic particles. From the other hand, the chemical stability, together with their good mechanical properties can explain the appreciable results obtained with the other alumina based materials.

On the Influence of the Radius Between Face and Flank on the Tool Life of Sintered Carbides

Experimental investigations carried out by the authors in interrupted cutting, show that if the cutting edge survives to few impacts, then fracture will take place to very high number of impacts. Early fractures can be explained by assuming the presence of microscopic defects on the tool edge; a longer life can be referred to an increase tool strengthness due to rounding of the edge as a consequence of the wear process. In order to study the effects of the rounding of the edge, experimental tests have been carried out on several inserts of sintered carbides with different values of the radius of the edge between face and flank obtained by a tumbling process. The results show that the greater is the radius the longer is the tool life until a limit value of the radius is reached.

Prediction of Ductile Fractures Occurrence in Deep Drawing of Square Boxes

Abstract The authors propose a new approach for the prediction of tearing in the deep drawing process of square boxes. Such an approach is based on a damage mechanics formulation and in particular on the yield condition for damaging materials proposed by Tvergaard and Needleman and on a strain controlled nucleation model. The flow rule associated to the yield condition is introduced in a finite element explicit formulation founded on the solution of the dynamic equilibrium equation and on an explicit time integration scheme. By this way the developed model allows to calculate the void volume fraction value during the deep drawing process of square boxes and consequently to predict the insurgence of tearing by comparing the maximum achieved void volume fraction with the value corresponding to the coalescence of microvoids. The obtained results have been used to construct a particular type of a master curve and their goodness has been confirmed by means of a set of experimental tests.

Computer vision profilometer: equipment and evaluation of measurements

Abstract This paper describes a new equipment that measures roughness values by a computer vision (CV) technique. Measurements carried out by a CV profilometer are also evaluated. A laser source (power 2 mW), a cylindrical lens and a charge coupled device (CCD) TV-camera with a suitable optical system form an image of the profile of the sample under inspection. This image is then transformed into a binary image by thresholding and the line that divides the bright zone from the dark zone is the sample profile. From this line the characteristic roughness values can be calculated. The roughness measurements are carried out both by the CV profilometer and a stylus profilometer on eight specimens with various degrees of finish. For each investigated parameter, a strong linear relationship exists between CV and stylus measurements.

The influence of the tape-casting process parameters on the geometric characteristics of SiC tapes

The production process of the tape-casting technique applied to the production of porous ceramic membranes, suitable for the separation of different chemical species, has been explored, with emphasis on the influence of the operative parameters on the macrogeometric characteristics of the manufactured ceramic porous tapes. The effects of the slurry casting rate, the doctor blade height and the mean particle diameter have been studied and the results reported. The characterization analyses indicate the degree of reliability of this technique to produce planar SiC components and the importance of the particle size in enhancing the structural homogeneity. A study on the variance analysis (ANOVA) determined that important operative parameters influencing the thickness of the planar components are, in order of importance, the doctor blade height and the slurry casting rate. The squared terms Hrpoststaggered2, Vppoststaggered2 and the interaction term VpHr have very little influence on the value of log(S).

Relation between tool life in milling and in interrupted turning

Abstract This paper refers to tool life tests on sintered carbide inserts for face milling and turning in interrupted cutting. Similar tool and workpiece geometries, cutting conditions and insert quality were employed for the tool life tests. The inserts exhibit similar behaviour, in two different working processes, at the low cutting speed, but not at the higher speed. Particularly at low cutting speeds, a ratio between tool life in face milling and in turning can be demonstrated which is independent of feed. At the high cutting speed, however, phenomena related presumably to cobalt diffusion can give rise to a similar variation in tool life, but at a different range of feed. With the given cutting parameters, a longer tool life was observed for face milling than for interrupted turning, under similar cutting conditions.