High-Speed Machining of Malleable Cast Iron by Various Cutting Tools Coated by Physical Vapor Deposition

Suyang Li,Jianbo Sui,Tingjie Zhang,Chengyong Wang,Haisheng Lin

doi:10.1186/s10033-021-00561-8

Suyang Li, Jianbo Sui + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s10033-021-00561-8

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Abstract

The coating material of a tool directly affects the efficiency and cost of machining malleable cast iron. However, the machining adaptability of various coating materials to malleable cast iron has been insufficiently researched. In this paper, turning tests were conducted on cemented carbide tools with different coatings (a thick TiN/TiAlN coating, a thin TiN/TiAlN coating, and a nanocomposite (nc) TiAlSiN coating). All coatings were applied by physical vapor deposition. In a comparative study of chip morphology, cutting force, cutting temperature, specific cutting energy, tool wear, and surface roughness, this study analyzed the cutting characteristics of the tools coated with various materials, and established the relationship between the cutting parameters and machining objectives. The results showed that in malleable cast iron machining, the coating material significantly affects the cutting performance of the tool. Among the three tools, the nc-TiAlSiN-coated carbide tool achieved the minimum cutting force, the lowest cutting temperature, least tool wear, longest tool life, and best surface quality. Moreover, in comparisons between cemented-carbide and compacted-graphite cast iron machined under the same conditions, the wear mechanism of the coated tools was found to depend on the cast iron being machined. Therefore, the performance requirements of a tool depend on multiple factors, and selecting an appropriately coated tool for a particular cast iron material is essential.

Highlights

The graphite shape and matrix type of cast iron greatly influence the mechanical properties and machinability of the formed part [1,2,3]
Because the different machinabilities of different cast irons affect the tool life and tool wear in different ways, a suitable cutting tool must be found for each cast iron [5,6,7,8,9]
The present study evaluates the effectiveness of three cemented carbide coated tools with different coatings fabricated by physical vapor deposition (PVD) (a thick TiN/TiAlN coating, a thin TiN/TiAlN coating, and a nanocomposite-TiAlSiN coating) in malleable cast iron (MCI) turning experiments

Summary

Introduction

The graphite shape and matrix type of cast iron greatly influence the mechanical properties and machinability of the formed part [1,2,3]. The cutting tools for machine cast iron are mainly composed of polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN), ceramic, and cemented carbide [4]. Because the different machinabilities of different cast irons affect the tool life and tool wear in different ways, a suitable cutting tool must be found for each cast iron [5,6,7,8,9]. NCI has a spherical graphite morphology, and exhibits high tensile strength, excellent ductility, high wear resistance, and elastic modulus.

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