Design, manufacturing and validation of chip breakers in ceramic inserts for the machining of aeronautic nickel-based superalloys Inconel® 718

Abstract

In a world were reducing manufacturing times of components is primordial, achieving not only increased cutting tool life but also the capacity to machine faster is a great advance in the technique. Furthermore, sectors, such as the aeronautic engine one, work with very low machinability materials as heat-resistant superalloys. The nature of these kinds of alloys prevents machining from high cutting speeds. There is only one way to do it by using ceramic tools that are harder than the traditional cemented carbide tools, but much more fragile, with a shorter tool life and too expensive. This work involves the design, the manufacturing and the validation of a chipbreaker in an alumina reinforced with whiskers of SiC turning insert for the machining of these heat-resistant superalloys (Inconel® 718), so used in sectors like the aeronautic. In view of the lack of chipbreakers in ceramic turning inserts, something unthinkable in nowadays-cemented carbide inserts, this works is intended to open a gate to a new generation of cutting tools.