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Procedia Engineering 00 (2012) Procedia Engineering 19 000000 (2011) 100 105

Procedia Engineering
www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia

1st CIRP Conference on Surface Integrity (CSI)

Improvement of anti-adhesive properties of cutting tool by nano/micro textures and its mechanism
T. Enomotoa and T. Sugiharaa *
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan

Abstract

In cutting of aluminum alloys, one of the most serious problems is chip adhesion to cutting tool surface, leading to tool breakage. To solve this problem, we used a surface engineering approach, namely, a highly functionalization of tool surfaces by textures to determine the role of textured surfaces in: (i) retaining cutting fluid and (ii) reducing actual contact area between the tool and chips. In this study, a DLC-coated cutting tool with nano/micro-textured surface using femto-second laser technology was developed. A series of aluminum alloy face-milling experiments showed that the nano/micro-textured surface significantly improved anti-adhesiveness at the tool chip interface. Moreover, through wet and dry cutting experiments, the mechanism of the improvement of anti-adhesive properties was also discussed. 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of Prof. E. Brinksmeier
Keywords: Texture, Cutting tool, Surface

1. Introduction Aluminum alloys provides several advantages, including a high strength to mass ratio, high corrosion resistance, and so on. Hence the demand for aluminum alloys has rapidly increased, especially in the transport industry. Compared to steel materials, aluminum alloys are easy to cut because of their low hardness, but this advantage is sometimes countered in certain applications by their low melting point and high ductility, which cause aluminum chips to adhere severely to the surface of cutting tools, leading to tool failure [1]. Then many different parameters of cutting tools such as geometry, coating [2, 3] and finishing

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +81-6-6879-7287; fax: +8-6879-7287. E-mail address: sugihara@cape.mech.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp.

1877-7058 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2011.11.086

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have been discussed. For example, diamond-like carbon (DLC) coated tools with extremely low friction are being applied in the dry and near dry cutting of aluminum alloys [4], however a flooded cutting fluid is still required in practical use to avoid adherence of aluminum chips to DLC-coated tools [5]. Furthermore, tool breakage occurs frequently in cutting processes such as deep hole drilling, milling and tapping even in wet cutting, in which it is difficult to directly supply cutting fluid to the cutting point [6]. To solve the problem described above, we adopted surface engineering approach, namely, a functionalization of tool surfaces by textures [7]. In our previous research, a DLC-coated cutting tool with a nano/micro-textured surface was developed and face milling experiments on aluminum alloys showed that the textured surface significantly promoted anti-adhesiveness at the tool-chip interface in wet cutting [8]. However, the dominant factor to improve anti-adhesion of the cutting tool surface remained incompletely understood, and it is necessary to reveal it to optimize texture patterns. In this paper, the mechanism of improving anti-adhesive properties by the textured surface was discussed by comparing the cutting performances both in wet and dry cutting.

2. Manufacture of a cutting tool with nano/micro-textured surfaces

Figure 1 shows the developed DLC coated tool with a nano/micro-textured surface [8]. Laser-induced periodic surface structuring technology was used to generate nano/micro grooves [9, 10] on the rake face of a WC-Co cemented carbide cutting tool. Irradiation of linearly polarized femtosecond laser pulses on a surface induces interference between the incident laser pulses and surface scattered light or plasma waves from detects or particles on the surface. Precise regular grooves are self-organized by adjusting the laser energy at low fluence that is slightly above the ablation threshold, with the spacing of regular structures either the same as or smaller than the laser wavelength. Applying this technology, regular nano/micro grooves 100-150 nm deep and 700 nm apart were produced on the rake face of the cutting tools using a titanium-sapphire-based laser system (Canon Machinery Inc., Model Surfbeat R; peak wavelength 800 nm, pulse width 150 fs, cyclic frequency 1 kHz, pulse energy 300 J). The nano/micro-grooves were generated on the tool rake face parallel to main cutting edge, namely, orthogonal to the chip flow direction (See Fig. 1). Before the laser irradiation, the tool surface was polished with diamond slurry to a surface roughness of P-V 40 nm. After creating the grooves, plasma-CVD DLC film was coated by arc ion plating on the cutting tool surface to improve antiadhesiveness. The coating decreased the groove depth by 10 nm or less.

Fig. 1 Developed cutting tool with nano/micro textured surface

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3. Cutting performance of the developed cutting tool in wet cutting

Cutting experiments were conducted on aluminum alloys A5052 using a vertical machining center (Yamazaki Mazak Corp., AJV-18). The experimental setup is illustrated in Fig. 2 (a). Figure 2 (b) shows the geometry of the cutting tool with a single insert. The center of the cutter was set on the center line of the workpiece. Table 1 lists the cutting conditions. Emulsion type cutting fluid (NEOS Co., Ltd., Finecut CFS-100) was supplied at a flow rate of 12.6 L/min in wet cutting experiments. The two types of cutting tools, concretely, the DLC coated tool with grooves parallel to main cutting edge (developed tool) and the conventional DLC coated tool with polished surface (conventional tool) were evaluated. Figure 3 shows three-dimensional geometry of the tool rake face after cutting for 1800 m. From this figure, it was confirmed that aluminum chips severely adhered to the tool rake face of the conventional DCL coated tool. By contrast, the tool surface with the nano/micro-texture had an excellent anti-adhesive property, which leads to longer tool life in cutting of aluminum alloy.

Fig.2 (a) Experimental setup of face milling test; (b) Geometry of cutting tool

Table 1 Cutting conditions Workpiece Tool A5052 W 75 (mm) - L 210 (mm) Furukawa-Sky Aluminum Corp. Cemented carbide K10 SEKN42M, (Sumitomo Electric Hardmetal Corp.) Axial rake angle, A Radial rake angle, R True rake angle, Corner angle, Cutter diameter, D 380 (m/min); 1500 (rpm) 3 (mm) 0.12 (mm/rev.) 180 (m) 10 passes - Wet : Emulsion type (JIS A1) Finecut CFS-100, NEOS CO., LTD. - Dry 12.6 (L/min)

Tool geometry Cutting speed Depth of cut Feed rate Cutting length Cutting fluid Supply rate

20 degrees -3 degrees 12.4 degrees 45 degrees 80 (mm)

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Adhesion

(a) Conventional tool

(b) Developed tool

Fig.3 Three-dimensional geometry of the tool rake of cutting tools after cutting for 1800 m

Textured surface

(a) Conventional cutting tool

(b) Developed cutting tool

Fig. 4 Schematic illustrations of the cutting tool, (a) Conventional cutting tool; (b) Developed cutting tool

4. Anti-adhesive properties by nano/micro-textured surface 4.1. Mechanism of improving anti-adhesive properties by nano/micro-textured surface Generally, cutting tool surfaces are covered by a lubricant film when the cutting fluid is supplied. However, in the case of the conventional cutting tool having flat and smooth tool surface, the lubricant film on the tool surface is easily removed by a severe sliding contact between tool and chip, and the tool surface comes into direct contact with a nascent surface having high chemical activation (Fig. 4 (a)). Then, the chemical species diffusion from the chip material toward to the tool and vice versa occurs and an adhesion layer is formed on the tool surface [11]. On the other hand, in the case of the developed cutting tool having textured surface, the texture retains the cutting fluid on the tool rake face during cutting and prevents the lubricant film on the tool surface from being broken. Moreover the textured surface is expected to decrease actual contact area between tool and chips (Fig. 4 (b)). 4.2. Cutting performance of the developed cutting tool in dry cutting In order to individually evaluated the above-mentioned two roles, namely: (i) retaining cutting fluid and preventing lubricant film from being broken, and (ii) reducing actual contact between the tool and chips, dry cutting experiments were conducted using basically the same cutting conditions as those listed in Table 1. Figure 5 shows three-dimensional geometry of the tool rake face after dry cutting for 1800 m, and Fig. 6 shows SEM images and EDX analyses that indicate distributions of aluminum atoms on the tool surfaces after wet and dry cutting. Furthermore, the aluminum atom concentration on the tool rake face in EDX-Al imaging was measured to quantitatively evaluated aluminum adhesion as shown in Fig. 7. As shown in these figures, compared to wet cutting, aluminum adhesion in dry cutting increased in the developed DLC-coated tool and, in contrast, aluminum adhesion decreased in the conventional DLC coated

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tool. This is thought to be due to the tool surface making strongly solid contact with chips in dry cutting. In the case of the conventional DLC-coated tool, high cutting heat was generated and the temperature exceeded recrystallization temperature of aluminum alloy, decreasing adhesion and built-up edge. On the other hand, in the case of developed DLC-coated tool, the texture on the tool rake face served as a surface roughness in dry cutting condition, increasing chip adhesion. These results indicate that the effect of improving the anti-adhesive properties of the nano/micro-texture was exerted principally by retaining cutting fluid in the grooves and preventing lubricant film on the rake face from being broken by a severe sliding contact between tool and chip. Therefore, textures that can prevent fluid retained in the grooves from leaking, and increase the amount of fluid retained, are thought to be suitable to achieve higher anti-adhesive properties in cutting of aluminum alloys.

Adhesion

Adhesion

(a) Conventional tool

(b) Developed tool

Fig.5 Three-dimensional geometry of the tool rake of cutting tools after dry cutting for 1800 m

(a) Conventional tool after wet cutting

(b) Developed tool after wet cutting

(c) Conventional tool after dry cutting

(d) Developed tool after dry cutting

Fig.6 Rake face of cutting tool after wet and dry cutting for 1800 m (left: SEM image; right: EDX-Al image)

Concentration atom %

Wet cutting Dry cutting

Conventional tool

Developed tool

Fig.7 Concentration of aluminum atom on the rake face of cutting tool

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5. Conclusion A cutting tool with a nano/micro-textured surface was developed to improve anti-adhesive properties in cutting of aluminum alloys and wet and dry cutting experiments were conducted to evaluate the antiadhesion of the developed tool and reveal the mechanism of improving anti-adhesive properties by textured surface, with following findings: (1) Nano/micro texture significantly decreased chip adhesion on the tool rake face in wet cutting. (2) Aluminum chip severely adhered to the nano/micro textured surface as is the case of the conventional cutting tool surface in dry cutting. (3) Improving cutting fluid retention on the tool surface is essential for achieving a good anti-adhesive property in aluminum alloy cutting by textured surface on the tool rake face. Acknowledgements We thank everyone at Canon Machinery Inc., Nippon ITF Inc., and Neos Co., Ltd., for their invaluable assistance and advice. This research was supported by Grant-in Aid for JSPS Fellow. References
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