18MEPK0 – METAL CUTTING

ENGINEERING
Course Outcomes
By the end of the course, student will be able to:
1. Explain the types and characteristics of tool materials,
cutting tools nomenclature and various tool angle
specification
2. Explain the Mechanics of the machining process
3. Examine the thermal aspects and cutting fluids
4. Examine the tool wear, tool life, machinability.
5. Determine the tool life and surface roughness of machined
surfaces
6. Optimize the machining cost by varying the cutting
parameters
 18MEPK0 – METAL CUTTING
ENGINEERING

Chapter-4
Tool wear, Tool life and
Machinability

Prof. M.Karthic, M.E

E-mail: mkmect@tce.edu

2
 Chapter-4
Tool wear, Tool life and
Machinability

4.1 Introduction – Tool wear mechanism - 1

4.2 Types of tool damages – wear and chipping characteristic

of different tool materials - 1
4.3 Tool wear equation – Failure criteria – Tool life equation– 2
4.4 Effect of process parameters on tool life – Tool life tests - 2
4.5
Machinability – Introduction – Machinability rating- 1
 4.1 INTRODUCTION
Tool Wear/Tool failure

Tools are subjected to :

1. Forces
2. Temperature 3 Factors
3. Sliding action

After continuous use for some time, tool gives

unsatisfactory or inefficient performance
 4.1 INTRODUCTION
Unsatisfactory or inefficient performance is due to
“Tool Wear or Tool failure”

Consequences:
1. Loss of dimensional accuracy
2. Increased surface roughness
3. Increased power requirement
4. Excessive vibration and abnormal
sound (Chatter)
5. Total breakage of the tool
 4.1 INTRODUCTION
Tool is replaced or reconditioned
usually by grinding
Tool Wear depending factors:
1. Type of tool material and its hardness
2. Type and condition of work piece material
3. Dimensions of cut (Feed and depth of cut)
4. Cutting speed
5. Tool geometry
6. Tool temperature (function of cutting speed, feed
and depth of cut)
7. Type of cutting fluid
 4.1 Tool Wear Mechanisms
Causes of Tool Wear
1. Shearing at High temperature
2. Attrition / Adhesive
3. Diffusion
4. Abrasive
5. Fatigue
6. Electrochemical
7. Chemical Decomposition
8. Oxidation effect
9. Thermal cracking
 4.1 Tool Wear Mechanisms
1. Shearing at High Temperature

• Strength of hard metal

decrease at high temp
• So metal shear yield stress
becomes much smaller
• The chip may get so
hardened as able to cause
damage on the tool.
• The higher the temperature
at the interface, the greater is
this effect.
 4.1 Tool Wear Mechanisms
2. Attrition / Adhesive

• Fragments of the work-piece

get welded to the tool surface
at high temperatures;
eventually, they break off,
tearing small parts of the tool
with them.
• Flow of softer metal over the
surface of the hard metal.
 4.1 Tool Wear Mechanisms
2. Attrition / Adhesive
 At low cutting speeds
 Flow of material past cutting edge is irregular and
less stream lined
 BUE formed and discontinuous contact with the
tool
 Fragments of tool are torn from the tool surface
intermittently
 High
 Slow and interrupted cutting
 Presence of vibrations
 Found in carbide tools at low cutting speeds
 4.1 Tool Wear Mechanisms
3. Diffusion
• At high temperatures, atoms
from tool diffuse across to the
chip; the rate of diffusion
increases exponentially with
temperature; this reduces the
fracture strength of the
crystals.
• Diffusion phenomenon is
strongly dependent upon
temperature.
 4.1 Tool Wear Mechanisms
3. Diffusion
 Diffusion of metal & carbon atoms from the tool
surface into the w/p & chip.
 Due to
 High temp
 High pressure
 Rapid flow of chip & w/p past the tool
 Diffusion rate depends on the metallurgical
relationship
 Significant in carbide tools.
 4.1 Tool Wear Mechanisms
4. Abrasive
• Hard particles, microscopic
variations on the bottom
surface of the chips rub
against the tool surface and
break away a fraction of tool
with them.
 4.1 Tool Wear Mechanisms
4. Abrasive
 Due to
 Presence of hard materials in w/p material.
 Strain hardening induced in the chip & w/p due to
plastic deformation.
 Contributes to flank wear
 Effect can be reduced by fine grain size of the tool
& lower percentage of cobalt
 4.1 Tool Wear Mechanisms
5. Fatigue
• Due to frictional force,
compressive produced on
one side and tensile stress on
the other side.
• This stress cycle is repeated
until machining
• This phenomenon cause
surface cracks which
ultimately combine with one
another.
 4.1 Tool Wear Mechanisms
6. Electrochemical effect
• Dissimilar tool and work materials
• When ions are passed b/w tool & w/p
• Diffusion of carbon ions from the carbide tool to the
flowing chip.
• Break down of tool material @ chip tool interface
 4.1 Tool Wear Mechanisms
7. Chemical Decomposition
• Localized chemical reaction may occur that weaken the
tool material (Dissolution of the bond between binder and
hard constituents)
• Interaction b/w tool and work material
• Carbide tool
• Cutting fluid
 4.1 Tool Wear Mechanisms
8. Oxidation Effect
• Reacted with the Oxygen
to form abrasive oxide.
• When high compressive
stresses acts on tool rake
face- tool deformed down
ways – reduces relief
angle
• Modifies tool geometry
and accelerates other
wear processes
 4.1 Tool Wear Mechanisms
9. Thermal cracking
• Due to cyclic thermal stresses at cutting edge
 Comb cracks
 Transverse cracks
 Chipping of tool
 4.1 Tool Wear Mechanisms
Tool Wear vs. Time

Figure: Tool wear as a function of cutting time

Flank wear (FW) is used here as the measure of tool wear
Crater wear follows a similar growth curve
 4.2 Types of Tool Damage
Three Modes of Tool Failure
Fracture failure
When the Cutting force at tool point becomes excessive, it
leads to failure by brittle fracture.

Temperature failure
Cutting temperature is too high for the tool material, which
makes the tool point to soften, and leads to plastic
deformation along with a loss of sharp edge.

Gradual wear
Gradual wearing of the cutting edge causes loss of tool
shape, reduction in cutting efficiency and finally tool failure.
 4.2 Types of Tool Damage
Preferred Mode of Tool Failure:
Gradual Wear
 Fracture and temperature failures are premature failures
 Chipping of the cutting edge
 Gradual wear is preferred because it leads to the
longest possible use of the tool
 Gradual wear occurs at two locations on a tool:
Crater wear – occurs on top rake face
Flank wear – occurs on flank (side of tool)
 4.2 Types of Tool Damage

Figure: Diagram of worn cutting tool, showing the principal

locations and types of wear that occur
 4.2 Types of Tool Damage
a) Crater wear
It consists of a concave section on the tool face formed by the
action of the chip sliding on the surface.

Crater wear affects the mechanics of the process increasing

the actual rake angle of the cutting tool and consequently,
making cutting easier.

At the same time, the crater wear weakens the tool wedge and
increases the possibility for tool breakage.

In general, crater wear is of a relatively small concern.

4.2 Types of Tool Damage
a) Crater wear
 4.2 Types of Tool Damage
a) Crater wear
Reasons for Crater Wear
1. Severe abrasion between the chip and tool
face
2. High temperatures in the tool chip interface
resulting in “diffusion wear”

Diffusion: Movement of atoms between tool and chip

material resulting in loss material from the face of the tool
 4.2 Types of Tool Damage
a) Crater wear
Crater wear occurs:

(1) Ductile materials producing continuous chips

(2) HSS tools than Ceramic or Carbide tools

(harder than HSS)
 4.2 Types of Tool Damage
b) Flank wear
 It occurs on the tool flank as a result of friction between the
machined surface of the work piece and the tool flank.

 Flank wear appears in the form of so-called wear land and

is measured by the width of this wear land, VB, Flank wear
affects to the great extend the mechanics of cutting.

 Cutting forces increase significantly with flank wear.

 If the amount of flank wear exceeds some critical value i.e.

(VB > 0.5~0.6 mm), the excessive cutting force may cause
tool failure.
 4.2 Types of Tool Damage
b) Flank wear
Reasons for Flank Wear
1. Abrasion by hard particles and inclusions in the
work piece

Abrasion Process of scratching or rubbing away

2.Shearing of micro welds between tool and work

material

3.Abrasion by fragments of built-up edge blowing

against the clearance face of the tool
 4.2 Types of Tool Damage
C) Corner Wear
 It occurs on the tool corner.

 Can be considered as a part of the wear land and

respectively flank wear since there is no distinguished
boundary between the corner wear and flank wear land.

 We consider corner wear as a separate wear type because of

its importance for the precision of machining.

 Corner wear actually shortens the cutting tool thus

increasing gradually the dimension of machined surface
and introducing a significant dimensional error in
machining, which can reach values of about 0.03~0.05 mm.
4.2 Types of Tool Damage
C) Corner Wear
4.2 Types of Tool Damage
All wear
4.2 Types of Tool Damage

Figure :
(a)Crater wear, and

(b)flank wear on a
cemented carbide tool,
as seen through a
toolmaker's microscope
 4.2 Types of Tool Damage
Chipping of Tool
1. Tool material is too brittle

2. As a result of crack that is already present in the

tool

3. Excessive static or shock loading of the tool

4. Weak design of the tool

4.2.1 Wear and Chipping Characteristics
of tool Materials

1. HSS
2. WC-Co Tool Material
3. WC – TiC – Ta C- Co
4. Alumina
5. Sialon
6. Cubic Boron Nitride
7. Diamond