Cutting performance of nano-crystalline diamond (NCD) coating in micro-milling of Ti6Al4V alloy

• The minimum chip thickness depending on both the cutting force and the surface roughness were determined.
• The minimum chip thickness is about 0.3 times that of the cutter corner radius for Ti6Al4V alloy and changes very little with coating type.
• TiN and AlCrN coated tools were less worn than uncoated and NCD-coated tools.
• Burr formation in NCD coated tool is less than that in uncoated tool due to low friction coefficient between tool and chip.

Hard coatings are an important factor affecting the cutting performance of tools. In particular, they directly affect tool life, cutting forces, surface quality and burr formation in the micro-milling process. In this study, the performance of nano-crystalline diamond (NCD) coated tools was evaluated by comparing it with TiN-coated, AlCrN-coated and uncoated carbide tools in micro-milling of Ti6Al4V alloy. A series of micro-milling tests was carried out to determine the effects of coating type and machining conditions on tool wear, cutting force, surface roughness and burr size. Flat end-mill tools with two flutes and a diameter of 0.5 mm were used in the micro-milling process. The minimum chip thickness depending on both the cutting force and the surface roughness were determined. The results showed that the minimum chip thickness is about 0.3 times that of the cutter corner radius for Ti6Al4V alloy and changes very little with coating type. It was observed from wear tests that the dominant wear mechanism was abrasion. Maximum wear occurred on NCD-coated and uncoated tools. In addition, maximum burr size was obtained in the cutting process with the uncoated tool.