Damage modes of straight tungsten carbide in dry machining of titanium alloy TA6V

Abstract

In the present study, dry machining of the titanium alloy TA6V with cemented tungsten carbide tools is tested. The main objective is to analyse the feasibility of the dry machining process on the difficult to cut materials as titanium alloys. The wide accepted tool material for machining this kind of materials i.e. straight tungsten carbide (WC-Co), was initially chosen. During the trials, the tool was rigidly mounted on tool holder with rake angles of 0°, 15° and 30°. Three cutting speeds (15, 30 and 60 m/min) and three feeds (0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 mm) were used. In order to avoid the shock at the beginning of the cutting operation, the workpiece was prepared by carrying out a chamfer. All inserts have achieved 5 passes (1 pass = 1 m). During the trials the cutting force components were measured using a piezoelectric dynamometer. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) supported by energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) and optical profilometer were investigated in the detailed analysis of tool wear. The correlation between the evolution of cutting forces, the tool damage modes and the workpiece roughness show the influence of the cutting parameters and the insert geometry on the tool wear and on the quality of the finished surface when dry machining TA6V.