Effects of bio-inspired integration of laser-induced microstructure and coated cemented carbide on tool performance in green intermittent turning

Abstract

Both laser-induced microstructure and coated cemented carbide material have shown the ability to improve the performance of cutting tools. Biomimetics offers the possibility to integrate them according to the structures and the functions of creatures. The present work explored the effects of the bio-inspired integration of them on tool performance in green intermittent turning. Design of the bio-inspired integration was achieved by analyzing Odontodactylus scyllarus. Ellipsoid-shaped microstructure was fabricated on Al2O3/TiCN coated WC–Co cemented carbide material by nanosecond laser according to the design. Ablation of the material during microstructure formation was quantitatively revealed based on the analysis of heat flux distribution and material temperature. A theoretical indicator of tool performance was established incorporating material damage and cutting load on the basis of damage mechanics and fracture mechanics. This work identified the evolutions of the theoretical tool performance indicator and the experimental tool wear index with WC grain size sg and laser angle ϕ. Both the theoretical indicator and the experimental index can be used to distinguish the optimum combination of sg and ϕ. The optimum combination was sg = 0.5 μm and ϕ = 120° for the dry cutting process. It varied to be sg = 0.5 μm and ϕ = 60° in soybean-oil-based nanofluid minimum quantity lubrication cutting. The proposed bio-inspired integration method efficiently enhanced tool performance in green intermittent turning.