Investigation of tool wear in High Speed Machining by using a ballistic set-up

Investigation of tool wear in High Speed Machining (HSM) by using a ballistic set-up is proposed. An originality of this work consists in analyzing the previous models in sight of the real temperatures fields measured during the cutting process. Results show the high potentiality of the presented device associated with wear modeling. The chip formation and the temperature distribution are observed in real time under perfect orthogonal cutting conditions at very high cutting speeds with an intensified CCD camera. Observations highlight the importance of the evolution of the tool-chip contact during the crater wear process, especially when low feeds are selected. For low feeds, the crater profile seems control the rolling-up of the chip which also participates to accentuate the wear. Experimental results such as temperature distribution and contact length are input into diffusion wear models under different assumptions for predicting the evolution of crater profiles. Taking into account the mechanical action of the chip on the tool rake face, the prediction of tool wear is reached with a great accuracy.