Wear, cutting forces and chip characteristics when dry turning ASTM Grade 2 austempered ductile iron with PcBN cutting tools under finishing conditions

Experimental studies of wear, cutting forces and chip characteristics when dry turning ASTM Grade 2 austempered ductile iron (ADI) with polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PcBN) cutting tools under finishing conditions were carried out. A depth of cut of 0.2 mm, a feed of 0.05 mm/rev and cutting speeds ranging from 50 to 800 m/min were used. Flank wear and crater wear were the main wear modes within this range of cutting speeds. Abrasion wear and thermally activated wear were the main wear mechanisms. At cutting speeds greater than 150 m/min, shear localization within the primary and secondary shear zones of chips appeared to be the key-phenomenon that controlled the wear rate, the static cutting forces as well as the dynamic cutting forces. Cutting speeds between 150 and 500 m/min were found to be optimum for the production of workpieces with acceptable cutting tool life, flank wear rate and lower dynamic cutting forces.