2 - High-performance machining of austenitic stainless steels

Abstract

Turning has been widely studied and documented. However, limitations still remain due to the absence of reliable information about certain materials. Such is the case for austenitic stainless steels. Despite the fact that these materials are of great economic and technological significance, a lack of knowledge still exists about their behavior when machining. Nevertheless, stainless steels are one of the most widely used groups of materials, representing 10 per cent of the world’s steel production, and austenitic steels comprise 70 per cent of all stainless steels. Characteristics that have a direct effect on the machining of these steels are analyzed here: the effects of the addition of different components on machinability, the effects that cutting parameters have over some thermomechanical properties by means of simulation tests, and the effects of cutting speed on tool wear, superficial quality, cutting forces and chip formation. These effects are studied for one of the most widely used austenitic stainless steels, AISI303, using both conventional (Vc <350m/min) and very high (up to 870m/min) cutting speeds. Our final objective was to determine the behavior of austenitic steels under high-performance machining, with direct application to optimizing production processes.