Wear and Thermal Analysis of WC Inserts in Turning Operations by Fuzzy Modeling

The objective of the work was to analyze the behavior of the temperature at the tool-chip interface during the external turning process of an AISI 1045 steel with a diameter of 50 mm and a length of 200 mm using WC TNMG 16 04 12-SF hard metal insert, thus achieving the reduction of tool wear. The control parameter was the cutting speed from which the temperature was controlled indirectly. Crater and flank wear were analyzed for being regular, predictable and dominant over the life cutting tool. Also, the influence of indirect control on surface roughness behavior was studied. In order to reach this objective, the temperature behavior was initially modeled using the finite element method (MEF) and the simulation result was compared with the experimental results. Process parameter feedback was accomplished by closed loop through fuzzy control, using an ARDUINO UNO module for data acquisition. The evolution of the temperature at the chip-tool interface could thus be monitored and controlled during turning following a Fuzzy Logic control scheme.