Development of novel cutting tools with dimple textured surfaces for dry machining of aluminum alloys

Dry machining of aluminum alloys is one of the most challenging machining operations because these materials severely adhere to the tool surface without the use of cutting fluids, leading to deterioration of the surface integrity of the workpiece and tool failure. In order to overcome this problem, we newly developed cutting tools with dimple-shaped textures having different dimensions and arrays, generated on the tool rake face by using a femtosecond laser. A series of experiments demonstrated that the dimple textures significantly suppress the aluminum adhesion on the tool rake face by facilitating the flaking of the adhesion layer from the tool surface, and they exhibit a superior performance compared with those with groove textures, which were developed in our previous study, in dry machining of aluminum alloys. Furthermore, the relationship between texture dimensions and anti-adhesive properties was discussed to establish a guideline for optimizing the dimensions of the dimple textured surface.