Textured Inserts Research Articles

Investigation of machinability characteristics of Inconel 713C using new novel honeycomb and broken-parallel texture cutting inserts with graphene-based solid lubricants

The present investigation aims to investigate the machinability performances of graphene solid lubricant (S) deposited on dimple texture (T1-S), novel honeycomb texture (T2-S), and novel broken-parallel textures (T3-S) during dry turning of Inconel 713C has been carried out and compared with dry (D) textured tools (T1-D, T2-D, and T2-D). L24 orthogonal design was used to design the experiments by considering conditions (dry and solid lubricant), textured type, cutting speed, and feed rate. The experimental results reveal that the honeycomb without and with graphene (T2-D and T2-S) effectively reduced the generated cutting temperature by 14.5 % and 22.4 %, cutting force by 34.6 % and 39.4 %, surface roughness by 14.3 % and 22.4 % and tool flank wear by 11.9 % and 2.3 % compared dimple and broken parallel textured inserts. The honeycomb tool (T2-D and T2-S) exhibited shear angle increased by 7.45 % and 6.5 % and 29.3 %, and 33.33 % than dimple under dry and graphene textured cutting tool. The chip reduction coefficient was <1.5, resulting in an increased shear angle and decreased friction coefficient in graphene-deposited honeycomb texture conditions. The major mechanism credited to the improved performance of honeycomb with graphene tool was reduced chip curl diameter and chip width by 3.3 % and 5.7 % compared to other tools. SEM images showed that all textured inserts' primary tool wear mechanisms on the tool surface were built-up edges, micro-chipping, adhesions, and abrasions. EDS analysis and following elemental plotting showed the strong presence of workpiece constituents on the flank surface. But, the influence of adhesion and abrasion was more noticeable for all dry-textured tools. The findings of this study indicate that honeycomb textured tools are a superior alternative to dry machining of Inconel 713C. Additionally, broken-parallel textured tools were more effective than textured dimple tools.

Performance Evaluation of Micro-Textured Inserts Coupled With Solid Lubricants During the Sustainable Dry Machining of Inconel 825

Abstract In this research work, the turning of Inconel 825 has been carried out using uncoated and coated laser-textured hard tungsten carbide (WC) cutting inserts. The efficacy of uncoated textured inserts has been tried to improve by impregnating them with micro-sized MoS2 and nano-TiC powder paste. The results of coated and uncoated textured inserts have been compared with the plain uncoated tungsten carbide insert. The use of solid lubricant-impregnated textured tools and coated textured tools has significantly reduced the cutting forces and chip–tool interface friction as compared to plain and normal textured tools. Upon the SEM analysis, high adhesion over the rake face of the plain tool has been observed. The excessive adhesion over the rake surface has been observed over the normal textured tool due to the derivative cutting phenomena. The use of MoS2 and nano-TiC-impregnated textured tools has significantly reduced the material adhesion over the rake surface by eliminating the derivative cutting effect. The use of AlTiSiN-coated textured tools has also restricted the extent of work material adhesion over the rake surface of the cutting insert.

Study on tool wear mechanism and chip morphology during turning of Inconel 713C by textured inserts

The present study aims to analyze the tool wear mechanism and chip morphology during dry (D) and graphene solid-lubricant (S), turning of Inconel 713C with a new novel textured (honeycomb (T2) and rectangular(T3)) and further compare with the textured dimple tool (T1). In addition, the performances were compared with the untextured tool (T0). The machining tests for all conditions were carried out at different levels of cutting speeds (75 m/min and 150 m/min), feed rate (0.1 mm/rev and 0.2 mm/rev), and a constant level of depth of cut (0.5 mm). Honeycomb-textured cutting tools performed better. Improvements of 33.3 % (T1D), 50 % (T3D), and 75 % (T2D) without graphene and 66.6 %(T1S), 75 % (T3S), and 100 %(T2S) with graphene are observed compared to T0. The primary mechanism for the better performance of T2S was the reduced tool chip contact length (8–50 %), chip width (30.4 %), friction coefficient (57.4 %), chip thickness (17.8 %), and higher shear angle (14.2 %) compared to dry textured and untextured tools at the end of tool life. Additionally, the T2S (solid lubricant-impregnated honeycomb) demonstrates a decrease in equivalent chip thickness (19.8 %) and an increase in shrinkage factor (17.2 %) at worn-out tool life conditions at high cutting speed and feed rate. Under the same conditions, T2S has 27.3 % lower cutting force and 36.2 % lower surface roughness of machined workpieces compared to the untextured tool at the end of tool life. The chip micrograph reveals the chips are shorter, and the chip radius is lower for T2S tools with smooth friction tracks and fine deformed lamella on the free surface of the chip. Under SEM, flank wear, adhesion materials, abrasion, micro-chipping coating peeling, and BUE were dominant wear mechanisms. However, T2S tools effectively reduce Ni elements' diffusion and suppress the built-up edge's adhesion by improving friction characteristics at the tool-chip interface region. Lastly, the outcomes of experimental results suggest that the honeycomb texture for dry machining of Inconel 713C.

EFFECT OF TEXTURED CUTTING INSERTS IN MICRO-TURNING OF TI-6AL-4V ALLOYS

There is an increasing demand for higher machining quality and service life of the cutting tools used for the machining of high-strength alloys. Various studies revealed that textured cutting tools could improve the cutting performance by enhancing the tribological characteristics of the cutting regime. Advances in precision machining enabled the creation of micro/nano-textures on tool surfaces with excellent dimensional control. In this work, distinct micro designs, viz. horizontal line, vertical line and cross-hatch, are made, varying the pitch on the rake faces of coated carbide cutting inserts (CCMT060202LF KC5010). An in-house micro-turning machine was utilized to perform all the experiments in dry-cutting conditions. Micro-turning operations were performed using plain and textured inserts and varying the cutting parameters under dry conditions. The effectiveness of micro-scale textures at a contact interface was evaluated based on the cutting forces, tool flank wear and surface roughness. Compared to non-textured inserts, the machining using cross-hatch textured inserts with 100 µm pitch resulted in 50 % lower cutting forces, a 45 % improved surface finish and 37 % reduced tool flank wear. When machining with horizontal-line textured inserts with a 100 µm pitch, cutting forces are reduced by 46 %, the surface finish is enhanced by 34 % and the tool flank wear is lowered by 30 %. Similarly, when machining with vertical-line textured inserts with a 100 µm pitch, cutting forces are minimized by 38 %, the surface finish is improved by 20 % and the tool flank wear is lowered by 26 %. Additionally, a durability test was conducted for the inserts, and the results showed that the cross-hatch textured tool life improved by 80 %, the life of the horizontal-line textured tool increased by 50 % and the life of the vertical-line textured tool increased by 40 % compared to plain inserts. The heat dissipation and tool-chip friction during machining are thus significantly influenced by the texturing, namely by its design, dimensions and orientation.

Intelligent prediction of machine tool performance in micro turning using textured inserts

Intelligent prediction of machine tool performance in micro turning using textured inserts

Injection molding and characterization of microtextures on polycarbonate using laser textured inserts

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the easy manufacturing and quick characterization of several microtextured functional surfaces on two transparent thermoplastics of general interest for several industrial sectors. Microtextured polymeric surfaces with special optical, tribological and easy-cleaning properties were manufactured via isothermal injection-molding using laser-microtextured steel mold inserts. For that purpose, conventional injection molding of two chosen amorphous transparent polymers (polycarbonate, PC, and polymethyl methacrylate, PMMA) utilizing laser-microtextured steel inserts was carried out, and a detailed morphological and functional characterization of the injected specimens was conducted later on. We also report on the suitable process conditions for the injection molding of these specimens using design of experiment (DOE) techniques. The analysis of the degree of replication (DR%) on the injected samples shows that mold temperature and injection speed are the most relevant parameters to obtain a successful replication and confirm the viability of conventional injection molding as a processing technique to obtain microtextured functional surfaces in amorphous transparent thermoplastics. The success of the procedure is further checked by the confirmation of the obtained surface functionalities by various standard and self-developed methods.

Experimental analysis and characterisation of chip segmentation in dry machining of Ti-6Al-4V alloy using inserts with hybrid textures

Cutting tool surface texturing is emerging as an eco-friendly alternative to improve the tribological aspects and enhance machining performance. Despite several studies on the merits of textured cutting tools, limited information is available on their effect on chip segmentation. This study presents a quantitative analysis of the chip segmentation characteristics in dry machining of Ti-6Al-4V alloy using duel-textured carbide inserts. The optical and scanning electron microscopy analyses were performed to characterise the chip morphology. The effects of rake surface textures on segment width, shear angle, and chip thickness ratio were assessed and compared with the conventional inserts. In addition, the influence of surface textures on the microstructure of chip roots and the surface roughness of the workpiece was investigated. It appears that the textures on the rake face help reduce the spacing between the segments and the extent of fracture along the shear plane, ultimately reducing the segment strain and surface roughness. Therefore, this study facilitates the understanding of chip morphology and its evolution in turning operation using textured inserts and brings its industrial implementation a step closer.

Machinability studies on nickel based super alloys using cryo-treated tungsten carbide inserts

In this present study a comparative analysis was made on machinability of Nickel based super alloys under dry and wet conditions. The performance measures such as Cutting force, Surface roughness and Tool wear were measured and considered in this investigation. The studies revealed that the cryotreated textured inserts performed better than the conventional textured inserts in all means. The cutting force measured was less and tool wear observed was minimum for the cryotreated textured inserts than the textured conventional inserts. From the analysis it is perceived that the cutting force was less and surface finish was better for the machining parameters with high speed, low feed and low depth of cut during machining hard to machine material. Mathematical model was developed for the experimentation and it was validated using ANOVA.

Machinability investigation on nickel based super alloys using textured inserts

Machinability investigation on nickel-based super alloy under the influence of textured tungsten carbide inserts is performed in this current study. Machinability indicators such as surface roughness and tool wear have been investigated. Similarly, texture patterns such as dots, circle chain and zig zag shaped textures have been fabricated on CNMG120408 WC inserts using Laser source. The primary objective of the present investigation is to compare the performance of different types of tools when they are used with different parameters such as cutting speed, feed rate, and depth of cut. It has been observed that the surface roughness and tool wear of the dot shaped textured tool were lower when compared to the other types of tools. Dot shaped textured inserts and circle chain shaped textured tool was able to perform better than the other tool inserts.

Application of TOPSIS Method for Prediction of Optimum Design Parameters of Micro Hole Textured Cutting Inserts in Turning of Al-MMC

Metal Matrix Composite (MMC) has better mechanical properties and it is possible to produce near net shape. Aluminum-based MMC (Al-MMC) has challenges in terms of machinability studies and estimation of its optimum process parameters. Alternative cutting fluid research is a challenging area in machining. To avoid, existing hydrocarbon oil-based cutting fluid, textured inserts embedded with a solid lubricant are one of the alternative solutions. Micro hole textured inserts make a hole on the rake face of the cutting tool inserts. Texture includes various important design parameters namely hole diameter, hole depth and pitch between the holes. These optimum parameters influence the machining process. In this work, the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method is used to find the optimum design parameters (hole diameter, hole depth and pitch between holes) during turning of Al- MMC. The objective parameters considered are minimization of surface roughness, power consumption and tool flank wear. The optimum combination of these design parameters is obtained by the higher relative closeness value of the TOPSIS method. The result of the investigation revealed that these design parameters are important to obtain improved machining performance. Also, it is understood that the TOPSIS method has an appropriate procedure to solve multiple objective optimization problems in manufacturing industries.

Performance investigation of micro hole textured cutting inserts on power consumption and its measuring methodology in turning process

Modern manufacturing industries are facing challenges in saving energy with less environmental impacts. The Textured cutting tool insert with solid lubrication is attempted by researchers for tribological enhancement and enhance the sustainability in machining. In this work, turning process is performed on Inconel 718 using micro hole textured insert filled with tungsten disulfide (WS2) solid lubricant. The main aim of this investigation is to minimize the power consumption using textured cutting inserts and select appropriate device for measuring power consumption during machining. Three different devices are used to measure the power consumption and the results are analyzed. The results of the investigation revealed that tribological properties are enhanced using micro hole textured cutting inserts with solid lubricant. It is leads to near dry machining and sustainability in manufacturing. The result also pointed out direct measurement of power consumption is accurate and free from errors.

Experimental investigation on solid lubricant supply methodology in turning process

ABSTRACT Textured cutting insert filled with solid lubricants is one of the best alternative cooling methods in metal cutting industries. The problem associated with textured insert is the supply of solid lubricant and its continuity in flow while machining. In this work, an attempt is made on experimental investigation of supply methodology of solid lubricant to the textured inserts during turning process. Three different types of supply methodologies (paste form, liquid form, and soft coated form) are investigated. Performance of micro-hole textured inserts with tungsten disulfide (WS2) solid lubricant are conducted. The effect of control factors on an average surface roughness (Ra) using different solid lubrication supply is investigated. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) method is applied for the estimation of significance. The results of the study reveal that the soft coated solid lubricant to the textured insert is performed better than the other methodology used for supplying of solid lubricant. Supply methods of solid lubricant with micro-grooved inserts are investigated for promoting dry turning process. This work eliminates difficulty in supply mode of solid lubricant to the cutting zone. Soft coated textured inserts are noticed significant advantageous of uniform spread, additional storage, and supply.

Design and fabrication of honeycomb micro-texture using femtosecond laser machine

ABSTRACT In advanced machining processes on hard metals, fabrication of textured insert is still a challenge. To improve the machinability of a textured cutting insert the most effective factors are the area covered, design pattern, and orientation of micro-texture. For the coated cutting inserts, the fabrication of micro-grooves must not remove the coating from the surface. Due to the generation of several micro-pools of reservoir for lubricant, the novel honeycomb micro-textured groove has been designed in 3D. The femtosecond laser machine is used to fabricate the micro-textures on TiCN (Titanium Carbo-Nitride) coated tungsten carbide insert having 20 microns of coating depth. Honeycomb micro-texture has covered 2.11 mm X 2.11 mm of the area on the rack face of the cutting insert. After fabrication, the average groove width and wall thickness obtained are 57.7 microns and 29.49 microns, respectively. Fabrication has been done up to the depth of the groove of 18.6 microns. EDS (energy dispersive spectroscopy) confirms 68.2% presence of TiCN coating inside the groove with an increase of 33.7% of carbon and a decrease of 9.9% of titanium content due to laser cutting.

Performance study of dimple and channel textured tools during turning of Inconel-718

Alterations in cutting tool surfaces are being looked at as futuristic developments in cutting tool technology. Tool surface texturing by subtractive as well as an additive way can contribute to the tool performance and productivity improvement. The tool textures can be in the range of nano to micro-level. They help to reduce friction, manage the heat-induced during machining and facilitate chip removal. For textured surfaces, small cavities or dimples uniformly distributed over the sliding surface have been found to have the best tribological effect. In this study, two different micro-texture patterns i.e., micro-dimple and micro-channel were made on the rake-face close to the main cutting edge of the carbide tool insert. Ultra-short pulsed (nanosecond) fiber laser has been used for texturing. An array of texture patterns with 80 µm width/diameter and 70 µm depth has been engraved on the uncoated tungsten carbide tool. The textured inserts have been used for machining trials at 30 m/min to 100 m/min for Inconel 718 to compare the relative performance of the textures in terms of three components of cutting force and machined surface roughness. The experimental observations showed higher components of cutting force for channel textured tools in comparison to dimple textured tools. However, a better surface finish has been observed with channel textured tools. Cutting forces has been observed varying significantly with cutting speed in the case of dimple textured tools. Radial forces were observed higher in magnitude followed by tangential cutting force and feed force for both the textured tools. This study suggests having further studies considering the effect of different texture patterns on the cutting forces, surface roughness, and tool life while turning Inconel 718.

Performance of surface textured PCD inserts with wettability chemical solutions for machining operation

Non-hazardous, toxic-free, allergic-free and less cost-orientated methods are expected by the industries and the industrial workers for the better working-environment. In this work, an effort is made to achieve this expectation by integrating the concept of surface texturing and lyophobic wettability for anti-friction and self-lubrication purpose. Turning experiments are conducted on Al 6061 T6 material using Non-Textured (NT) Poly-Crystalline Diamond (PCD) insert, Cross-Chevron Textured insert (CCT), dip and drop based lyophobic wettability solutions filled texture inserts (TDI and TDR) under dry conditions. Lyophobic wettability was formed using amino silane functionalisation on the insert surface. Cross-chevron textures are engineered on the insert's rake face using Nd: YAG laser texturing machine. The experimental results observed with the lesser main cutting force and thrust force for the dip based lyophobic wettability insert than the non-textured, cross-chevron textured and drop based lyophobic wettability inserts.

Impact of quantization algorithm and number of gray level intensities on variability and repeatability of low field strength magnetic resonance image-based radiomics texture features.

The purpose of this work was to investigate the impact of quantization preprocessing parameter selection on variability and repeatability of texture features derived from low field strength magnetic resonance (MR) images. Texture features were extracted from low field strength images of a daily image QA phantom with four texture inserts. Feature variability over time was quantified using all combinations of three quantization algorithms and four different numbers of gray level intensities. In addition, texture features were extracted using the same combinations from the low field strength MR images of the gross tumor volume (GTV) and left kidney of patients with repeated set up scans. The impact of region of interest (ROI) preprocessing on repeatability was investigated with a test-retest study design. The phantom ROIs quantized to 64Gy level intensities using the histogram equalization method resulted in the greatest number of features with the least variability. There was no clear method that resulted in the highest repeatability in the GTV or left kidney. However, eight texture features extracted from the GTV were repeatable regardless of ROI processing combination. Low field strength MR images can provide a stable basis for texture analysis with ROIs quantized to 64Gy levels using histogram equalization, but there is no clear optimal combination for repeatability.

Minimum Quantity Lubrication through the micro-hole textured PCD and PCBN inserts in the machining of the Ti–6Al–4V alloy

A novel cutting tool development with the micro-hole textures on the flank and rake face of the cutting inserts helps in the reduction of tribological properties. The machining of Ti–6Al–4V alloy leads to some challenges during machining namely higher cutting temperature, and rapid tool wear. In this research, a comparison study has been performed with the new cutting tool inserts with surface modification such as Polycrystalline Cubic Boron Nitride (PCBN) and Polycrystalline Diamond (PCD) inserts for high-speed machining of Ti–6Al–4V alloy. The influence of the micro-hole textured insert on the machining of the Ti–6Al–4V alloy was investigated with the Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) method. Compared to modified PCBN inserts, modified PCD inserts showed better results in all the performance characteristics.

Performance Evaluation of Textured Inserts with MQL in Machining of PH Stainless Steel

This present investigation presents the method of texture fabrication and performance analysis of machinability of a textured and conventional Tungsten Carbide (WC) tool inserts. An endeavour has been taken to increase the performance of machining with different type of textured inserts. Texturing on the rake face of the inserts was fabricated using Wire Electrical Discharge Machine (WEDM). Experiments were conducted with different set of machining parameters on PH Stainless Steel (PHSS) with conventional and textured inserts and machinability analysis were evaluated. Tangential cutting force, surface roughness, and tool wear have been opted as the responses. Scanning electron microscope and optical microscopic image were used to evaluate the tool wear for different type of texture inserts. Based upon the outcomes attained, it is observed that the cutting tool with diamond shape texture exhibits the better performance in reduction of cutting force, tool wear and also improves the surface finish.

Machinability Analysis and Optimization of Wire-EDM Textured Conventional Tungsten Carbide Inserts in Machining of 17–4 PH Stainless Steel

This present investigation presents the method of texture fabrication and performance analysis of machinability of a textured and conventional Tungsten Carbide (WC) tool inserts. An endeavour has been taken to increase the performance of machining with different type of textured inserts. Texturing on the rake face of the inserts was fabricated using Wire Electrical Discharge Machining (WEDM). Cutting speed, depth of cut, and feed rate were considered as input process parameters. Cutting force (Fz) and surface roughness (Ra) were considered as the performance measures. Taguchi’s experimental design concept has been employed and an L27 Orthogonal Array (OA) has been opted for planning the experiment. Investigation on machinability performance has been performed for turning of 17-4 Precipitation Hardening Stainless Steel (PHSS) with the use of Taguchi-Grey Relational Approach (TGRA). The selected process variables have been optimized for attaining improved machining performance and to select the suitable texture in increasing the machinability of PH Stainless Steel. The outcomes of this present investigation demonstrated that the performance of machining can be enriched competently with an aid of the proposed method. Interaction analysis and contour plot analysis also performed to reveal the combined effect of process variables on desired performance measures.

Study on the influence of micro-textures on wear mechanism of cemented carbide tools

Wear behavior of micro-textured insert with lubrication was studied. Micro-pits with different diameters (80–200 μm), depths (3–10 μm), and area occupancies (10–30%) were manufactured on the tool rake face near the main cutting edge. Experimental research was conducted to reveal the effect of micro-pits on tool-chip interface friction characteristics. Besides, the texture parameter with better tribological characteristics was selected to study the wear mechanism of textured insert. Scanning electron microscopy analysis was conducted on the worn area of rake face. The results confirmed that the micro-textures can effectively reduce the average shear strength of rake face and actual tool-chip contact length during machining. The best average friction coefficient can be obtained with texture diameter of 170 μm, depth of 7 μm, and area occupancy of 20%. Adhesive wear, diffusion wear, and oxidation wear appeared on the worn area of rake face. The micro-textures can effectively reduce the diffusion wear and suppress the built-up edge (BUE) by improving tool-chip interface friction characteristics. The findings are of significance for enhancing the application of textured insert with excellent tribological characteristics.