Effect of progressive tool wear on the functional performance of micro milling process of injection molding tool

Abstract

In micro milling process, tool wear is one of the significant research area and tool behavior during machining is rather unpredictable. As tool wear progress, the cutting edge geometry change and leading to lower performance and failure of the machined surface integrity. This work investigate the influence of the progressive tool wear during micro end milling of a functional surface (micro ridges) on the injection molding tool with H13 tool steel material. In order to monitor the tool wear progress, five different TiAlN coated carbides micro end mills with 500 µm diameter were used to carry out the experiments in different cutting distances 64 cm to 320 cm. The chip formation, burr formation and surface quality in different tool wear conditions were evaluated. The burr form and size were affected by cutting edge wear and dissimilar results obtained at the end of cut. Moreover, the analysis of chip geometry in microscopic scale allows evaluating the chip morphology and cutting mechanisms in different tool wear conditions. The machined slots by the profile analysis and the surface quality of parts decreased as the tool wear growth. This work contribute to improved knowledge of cutting mechanisms with worn tools causing dissimilar material removal and surface integrity during machining process.