Relationship between cutting force and PCD cutting tool wear in machining silicon carbide reinforced aluminium

Abstract

This paper presents a study of the relationship between cutting forces and tool wear of polycrystalline diamond (PCD), measured when machining the composite A356/20/SiCp-T6 (aluminium with 7.0% silicon, 0.4% magnesium reinforced with 20 vol.% particles of silicon carbide (SiC); heat treatment: solutionising and ageing T6 for 5 h at 154°C). The experimental work was developed considering the drilling and turning operations, through the continuous measurement of the cutting forces with appropriate piezoelectric dynamometers. The wear type was identified and its evolution with cutting time was measured. The wear mechanism was analysed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). We tested drills and turning inserts with PCD. In turning, correlations were obtained between the evolution of flank wear of the insert and the feed and depth forces. Similar correlations have been obtained in drilling between the evolution of flank wear of the drills and the feed force. It was verified that this can be an indirect method of monitoring the wear of the inserts and drills.