Cutting performance of PVD-coated carbide and CBN tools in hardmilling

In this study, cutting performance of CBN tools and PVD-coated carbide tools in end-milling of hardened steel was investigated. In high-speed dry hardmilling, two types of CBN tools were applied: the CBN-rich type and an ordinary one. In the case of relatively low-speed milling, on the other hand, a few coated carbide tools were selected where four kinds of coating films, TiN, TiCN, TiAlN and multi-layered TiAlN/AlCrN, were deposited on the K10 and P30 grade carbide. The cutting performance was mainly evaluated by tool wear, cutting temperature, cutting force and surface roughness. In dry cutting of hardened carbon steel with the ordinary CBN tool, the cutting tool temperature rose rapidly with increase in cutting speed; and tool temperature reached approximately 850 °C at the cutting speed of 600 m/min. In the case of the CBN-rich tool, the cutting temperature decreased by 50 °C or more because of its high thermal conductivity. It is remarkable that tool wear or damage on a cutting tool was not observed even when the cutting length was 156 m in both CBN tools. In the case of coated carbide tools, the temperatures of TiN-, TiCN- and TiAlN-coated carbide tools rose as cutting proceeded because of the progress of tool wear, but that of TiAlN/AlCrN-coated carbide tool hardly rose due to little tool wear. When the base material was K10 grade carbide, tool temperature was lower than that of P30 with any coating. The tool flank wear depends considerably on hardness and oxidizing temperature of the coating film.