Prediction of the Wear & Evolution of Cutting Tools in a Carbide / Ti-6Al-4V Machining Tribosystem by Volumetric Tool Wear Characterization & Modeling

The objective of this research work is to create a comprehensive microstructural wear mechanism-based predictive model of tool wear in the tungsten carbide / Ti-6Al-4V machining tribosystem, and to develop a new topology characterization method for worn cutting tools in order to validate the model predictions. This is accomplished by blending first principle wear mechanism models using a weighting scheme derived from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis of tools worn under different operational conditions. In addition, the topology of worn tools is characterized through scanning by white light interferometry (WLI), and then application of an algorithm to stitch and solidify data sets to calculate the volume of the tool worn away. The motivation for this work is two-fold. First, the evolving dominance of different wear mechanisms with time, as well as with significant tool and process factors has been characterized only in a limited fashion for this tribosystem. Traditional modeling of tool wear treats wear mechanisms individually. Hence, quantifying the mechanism-dominance at different operational conditions through a comprehensive approach of combining and weighting wear mechanisms is essential for understanding wear. Second is the critical need for better quantifying the wear itself. Wear is a 3D phenomenon. However, machining tool wear has historically been measured only in 1D which is inadequate to capture the true tool wear status, even with standardization. The methodology was to first combine and weight dominant microstructural wear mechanism models, to be able to effectively predict the tool volume worn away. Then, by developing a new metrology method for accurately quantifying the bulk-3D wear, the model-predicted wear was validated against worn tool volumes obtained from corresponding machining experiments. The changing dominance of different microstructural wear mechanisms was captured by formulating mechanism-weighting-factors from SEM imaging and EDS analysis. These were formulated for each of the three speed-regimes, which then fed into a multi-mechanistic volumetric wear rate model. On comparing this model-predicted wear to the actual tool volume worn away, prediction on the order of the observed wear was achieved, with better prediction at low and medium surface speeds - this was quantified by sum-of-squares computations. On analyzing worn crater faces using SEM/EDS, adhesion was found dominant at lower surface speeds, while dissolution wear dominated with increasing speeds - this is in conformance with the lower relative surface speed requirement for micro welds to form and rupture, essentially defining the mechanical load limit of the tool material. It also conforms to the known dominance of high temperature-controlled wear mechanisms with increasing surface speed, which is known to exponentially increase temperatures especially when machining Ti-6Al-4V due to its low thermal conductivity. Thus, straight tungsten carbide wear when machining Ti-6Al-4V is mechanically-driven at low surface speeds and thermally-driven at high surface speeds. Further, at high surface speeds, craters were formed due to carbon diffusing to the tool surface and being carried away by the rubbing action of the chips - this left behind a smooth crater surface predominantly of tungsten and cobalt as observed from EDS analysis. Also, at high surface speeds, carbon from the tool was found diffused into the adhered titanium layer to form a titanium carbide (TiC) boundary layer - this was observed as instances of TiC build-up on the tool edge from EDS analysis. A complex wear mechanism interaction was thus observed, i.e., titanium adhered on top of an earlier worn out crater trough, additional carbon diffused into this adhered titanium layer to create a more stable boundary layer (which could limit diffusion-rates on saturation), and then all were further worn away by dissolution wear as temperatures increased. At low and medium feeds, notch discoloration was observed - this was detected to be carbon from EDS analysis, suggesting that it was deposited from the edges of the passing chips. Mapping the dominant wear mechanisms showed the increasing dominance of dissolution wear relative to adhesion, with increasing grain size - this is because a 13% larger sub-micron grain results in a larger surface area of cobalt exposed to chemical action. On the macro-scale, wear quantification through topology characterization elevated wear from a 1D to 3D concept. From investigation, a second order dependence of volumetric tool wear (VTW) and VTW rate with the material removal rate (MRR) emerged, suggesting that MRR is a more consistent wear-controlling factor instead of the traditionally used cutting speed. A predictive model for VTW was developed which showed its exponential dependence with workpiece stock volume removed. Also, both VTW and VTW rate were found to be dependent on the accumulated cumulative wear on the tool. Further, a ratio metric of stock material removed to tool volume lost is now possible as a tool efficiency quantifier and energy-based productivity parameter, which was found to inversely depend on MRR - this led to a more comprehensive tool wear definition based on cutting tool efficiency

Design and analysis of the internally cooled smart cutting tools with the applications to adaptive machining

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.Adaptive machining with internally cooled smart cutting tools is a smart solution for industrial applications, which have stringent manufacturing requirements such as contamination free machining (CFM), high material removal rate, low tool wear and better surface integrity. The absence of cutting fluid in CFM causes the cutting tool and the workpiece subject to great thermal loads owing to higher friction and adhesion, and as a result may increase the levels of tool wear drastically. The increase in cutting temperature may influence the chip morphology which in return producing metal chips in unfavourable ribbon or snarl forms. CFM is difficult to be realized as contaminants can be in various forms in the machining operation and to avoid them totally requires a very tight controlled condition. However, the ecological, economical and technological demands compel the manufacturing practitioners to implement environmentally clean machining process (ECMP). Machining with innovative cooling techniques such as heat pipe, single-phase microduct, cryogenic or minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) has been intensely researched in recent years in order to reduce the cutting temperature in ECMP, thus enabling the part quality, the tool life and the material removal rate achieved in ECMP at least equate or surpass those obtained in conventional machining. On the other hand, the reduction of cutting temperature by using these techniques is often superfluous and is adverse to the produced surface roughness as the work material tends to inherent brittle and hard property at low temperature. Open cooling system means the machining requires a constant cooling supply and it does not provide a solution for process condition feedback as well.This Ph.D. project aims to investigate the design and analysis of internally cooled cutting tools and their implementation and application perspectives for smart adaptive machining in particular. Circulating the water based cooling fluid in a closed loop circuit contributes to sustainable manufacturing. The advantage of reducing cutting temperature from localized heat at the tool tip of an internally cooled cutting tool is enhanced with the smart features of the tool, which is trained by real experimental data, to cognitively vary the coolant flow rate, cutting feed rate or/and cutting speed to control the critical machining temperature as well as optimum machining conditions. Environmental friendly internal micro-cooling can avoid contamination of generated swarf which can also reduce the cutting temperature and thus reduce tool wear, increase machining accuracy and optimize machining economics. Design of the smart cutting tool with internal micro-cooling not only takes into account of the environmental aspects but also justifies with its ability to reduce the machining cost. Reduction of production cost can be achieved with the lower consumption of cooling fluid and improved machining resources/ energy efficiency. The models of structural, heat transfer, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and tool life provide useful insight of the performance of the internally cooled smart cutting tool. Experimental validation using the smart cutting tool to machine titanium, steel and aluminium, indicates that the application of internally cooled smart cutting tools in adaptive machining can improve machining performance such as cutting temperature, cutting forces and surface quality generated. The useful tool life span is also extended significantly with internally cooled smart cutting tools in comparison to the tool life in conventional machining. The internally cooled smart cutting tool has important implications in the application to ECMP particularly by overcoming the stigma of high uncontrollable cutting temperature with the absence of cooling fluid.Brunel Universit

A Numerical and Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Cutting Fluid on Machining Performance

Cutting fluids play an important role in improving machining performance. However, cutting fluids have adverse effects on health and environment. A new methodology has been proposed for the prediction of tool temperature and the experimentally validated methodology revealed that turning operations can be performed with reduced amount of cutting fluid. Followed by, experiments were conducted and the results demonstrated that the reduce amount of cutting fluid is sufficient to obtain acceptable machining performance

Proceedings of the 2018 Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering (CSME) International Congress

Published proceedings of the 2018 Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering (CSME) International Congress, hosted by York University, 27-30 May 2018

ReSCon '10, Research Student Conference: Book of Abstracts

The third SED Research Student Conference (ReSCon2010) was hosted over three days, 21-23 June 2010, in the Hamilton Centre at Brunel University. The conference consisted of oral and poster presentations, which showcased the high quality and diversity of the research being conducted within the School of Engineering and Design. The abstracts and presentations were the result of ongoing research by postgraduate research students from the School. The conference is held annually, and ReSCon plays a key role in contributing to research and innovations within the School