The effect of tool material grain size on the machining process in ball end milling

Abstract

Cutting tool material has a significant effect on the temperature of the tool during machining that determines the tool life and machining performance. The objective of this study is to analyze the effect of reducing the grain size of tool material on tool life and cutting performance in terms of tool temperature and cutting forces during ball end milling of tool steel AISI H13. Tool material was prepared from three different sizes of tungsten carbide (WC) powder mixed with cobalt binder and sintered to fabricate ball end mills. The thermo-mechanical properties of the tool material were determined to investigate the effect of grain size. Machining tests were conducted to evaluate the performance of the tool in terms of tool temperature, cutting forces, and tool wear. Results showing a decrease in tooltip temperature with the reduction in grain size of the tool are the main and novel findings of this paper. The same trend was followed in the case of cutting forces and wear.