The effect of secondary cutting on the chip breaking in turning with (Ti,W)C cermet cutting tools

Abstract

This study proposes a secondary cutting technique to address the chip breaking issue of cermet cutting tools. A cemented carbide blade is superimposed to cut off the chips while cutting with (Ti,W)C cermet tools, this approach allows for achieving chip breaking while maintaining excellent machining surface integrity. In this paper, the influence of the distance between the secondary cutting tool and the major cutting edge and the thickness of the tool on the chip breaking is studied, by using the combination of finite element simulation and experimental verification. The results indicate that the secondary cutting technique transforms the chips from long helical chips into dual-C-type chips. The distance between the secondary cutting tool and the major cutting edge is the primary factor affecting chip breaking. The reason is that the free end of the chip is subjected to the reaction force of the secondary cutting tool, which hinders the increase of the chip curl radius, increases the internal strain, and achieves the chip breaking condition. The thickness of the secondary cutting tool is also a significant factor influencing chip breaking, when the thickness reaches the critical value of 1.8 mm, the tool transitions from obstructive action to cutting action. When the cutting material is 45 steel, the cutting speed is 300 m/min, the feed rate is 0.142 mm/r, and the cutting depth is 0.2 mm, the distance between the secondary cutting tool and the major cutting edge is 1.5 mm, and the tool thickness is 1.3 mm, the chip breaking effect is the best, the main types of chips is dual-C type chips, with a chip length of 7.1 mm ± 0.3 mm and a chip fracture curl radius of 1.8 mm ± 0.1 mm. At this point, the surface roughness can be reduced to as low as 0.98 μm, good surface integrity is ensured while chip breaking.