Effectiveness of cryogenic treatment on cutting tool inserts: A review

Abstract

Tool life is one of the essential parameters in sustainable manufacturing. Strengthening the life of cutting tool is a critical aspect in minimizing manufacturing costs. Enhancement of tool life during machining can be achieved through cutting fluids, different heat treatment techniques, coatings etc. Once cutting fluids reach the end of their useful life, they are considered hazardous and non-environmentally friendly fluids. Cryogenic treatment, a sub-zero heat treatment is an environmentally sustainable alternative to traditional methods, which is employed to strengthen tool life, wear resistance of cutting inserts, dimensional integrity and product quality. It is achieved through the conversion of residual austenite to martensite, carbide precipitation, eta-carbide formation, homogeneous crystal structure, improved thermal conductivity and decreased chemical degradation. The method of CT as well as the type of cutting tool have an impact on its performance. In recent years, several researches have experimented CT in order to optimize the parameters such as treatment temperature, soaking time, tempering temperature and tempering time for enhancing the performance of cutting tool. This review paper brings out the detailed study of different approaches followed in CT and their significant effect on microstructure of cutting tools. It specifically elaborates the influence of soaking time on micro-hardness, grain size, elemental composition, flank wear and tool life after CT. It has been identified as one of the most advantageous methods for cutting operations due to its ability to significantly increase tool life and surface quality through reduced tool wear via controlled CT of cutting tools at low temperatures.