Coolant boiling and cavitation wear – a new tool wear mechanism on WC tools in machining alloy 718 with high-pressure coolant

In recent years, research interest in liquid coolant media applied to the tool–workpiece interface (the tertiary shear zone) has grown considerably. In particular, attention has increased for work where the media has been applied under high-pressure. This is most likely triggered by the positive results reported on similar applications, but with coolant media directed towards the rake face of the cutting tool (the secondary shear zone). The most typical applications have not surprisingly been related to the machining of Heat Resistant Super Alloys (HRSA) or other “difficult to machine” alloys where the main intention has been to extend tool life and improve surface finish through reduced shear zone temperatures.Concurrently, these achievements have revealed a knowledge gap and unlocked a new research area in understanding the effects and influences of coolant media applied on super-heated surfaces under high-pressure conditions. The aim of this study is to investigate the “coolant boiling and cavitation” phenomena that emerges during the application of coolant under high-pressure to the flank face of an uncoated WC tool while turning Alloy 718. The experimental campaign was conducted in three aspects: varying flank (coolant media) pressure; varying spiral cutting length (SCL); and varying cutting speed.The results revealed that the location and size of the coolant-boiling region correlated with flank wear, coolant pressure and vapour pressure of the coolant at the investigated pressure levels. Further, the results showed that coolant applied with a lower pressure than the vapour pressure of the coolant itself caused the “Leidenfrost” effect. This then acts as a coolant media barrier and effectively reduces the heat transport from the cutting zone.Further, erosion pits were observed on small areas of the cutting tool, resembling the typical signs of cavitation (usually found in much different applications such as pumps and propellers). The discovered wear mechanism denoted as “Cavitation Wear” was used as base for the discussion aimed to deepen the understanding of the conditions close to the sliding interface between the tool and the workpiece. Even though “Cavitation Wear” has been widely reported in hydraulic systems like pumps and water turbines, it is a new phenomenon to be seen on cutting tools while using high-pressure flank cooling

Surface integrity investigations for prediction of fatigue properties after machining of alloy 718

Fatigue performance is crucial for gas turbine components, and it is greatly affected by the manufacturing processes. Ability to predict the expected fatigue life of a component based on surface integrity has been the objective in this work, enabling new processing methods. Alloy 718 samples were prepared by different machining setups, evaluated in fatigue testing and surface integrity investigations. These results generated two predictive statistical multi-variate regression models. The fatigue correlated well with roughness, residual stresses and deformation. The two models showed great potential, which encourages further exploration to fine-tune the procedure for the particular case.The results from this work was granted from the research project G5Demo-2 [2013-04666] and SWE DEMO MOTOR [2015-06047] financed by VINNOVA, Sweden’s innovation agency. Special thanks to GKN Aerospace Sweden AB. The authors also would like to thank the KK- foundation and the SiCoMaP research school

Novel cutting inserts with multi-channel irrigation at the chip-tool interface: Modelling, design and experiments

© 2020 CIRP The friction at chip-tool interface can considerably affect the chip formation and consumed energy during cutting of superalloys. However, it is difficult to deliver the lubricant to the chip-tool interface to reduce the friction effect. Thus, this paper proposed a novel solution of insert design by locating macro-channels on the rake face which connect with the micro-channels for irrigating the coolant into the chip-tool interface, while considering the cooling and lubricating efficiency. A significant reduction of tool wear, cutting force and specific cutting energy has been demonstrated, while an improved chip fragmentation as well as microstructure has also been achieved

Characterization of tool wear when machining Alloy 718 with high pressure cooling using conventional and surface-modified WC–Co tools

Coolant supplied by high pressure into the cutting zone has shown the lower thermal loads on the tool when machining difficult-to-cut materials as the Alloy 718. In this study, we investigate how the combination of high-pressure cooling and tool-surface modifications can lead to further improvements regarding tool life. The general approach is to enhance the coolant-tool interaction by increasing the contact area. Therefore, we machined cooling features into flank and rake faces of commercially available cemented tungsten carbide inserts. In this way, the surface area was increased by ~ 12 %. After the cutting tests, the tools were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Compared with conventional tools, the tool modifications reduced the flank wear by 45 % for the investigated cutting parameters. Furthermore, we were able to significantly increase the cutting speed and feed rate without failure of the tool. The investigated surface modifications have great potential to enhance the productivity of metal cutting processes

Effects of high-pressure cooling in the flank and rake faces of WC tool on the tool wear mechanism and process conditions in turning of alloy 718

The exceptional properties of Heat Resistant Super Alloys (HRSA) justify the search for advanced technologies that can improve the capability of machining these materials. One such advanced technology is the application of a coolant at high pressure while machining, a strategic solution known for at least six decades. The aim is to achieve extended tool life, better chip control and improved surface finish. Another aim is to control the temperature in the workpiece/tool interface targeting for optimum cutting conditions. In most of the existing applications with high-pressure coolant media, the nozzles are positioned on the rake face side of the insert and they are directed towards the cutting edge (the high-temperature area). The coolant is applied at high-pressure is to improve the penetration of the cooling media along the cutting edge in the interface between the insert and workpiece material (chip) as well as to increase chip breakability. However, the corresponding infusion of coolant media in the interface between the flank face of the insert and the work material (tertiary shear zone) has been previously only scarcely addressed, as is the combined effect of coolant applications on rake and clearance sides of the insert. The present work addresses the influence of different pressure conditions in (flank: 0, 4 and 8 MPa; rake: 8 and 16 MPa) on maximum flank wear, flank wear area, tool wear mechanism, and overall process performance. Round uncoated inserts are used in a set of face turning experiments, conducted on the widely used HRSA “Alloy 718” and run in two condition tests with respect to cutting speed (45 (low) and 90 (high) m/min). The results show that an increase in rake pressure from 8 to 16 MPa has certainly a positive impact on tool life. Furthermore, at high vc\ua0of 90 m/min, cutting edge deterioration: due to an extensive abrasion and crack in the wear zone were the dominant wear mechanism. Nevertheless, the increase in coolant pressure condition to 16 MPa reduced the amount of abrasion on the tool compared to 8 MPa. At the lower cutting speed, no crack or plastic deformation or extensive abrasion were found. When using 8 MPa pressure of coolant media on the flank, the wear was reduced by 20% compared to flood cooling conditions. Application of high-pressure cooling on the flank face has a positive effect on tool life and overall machining performance of Alloy 718

Dual-processing by abrasive waterjet machining—A method for machining and surface modification of nickel-based superalloy

© 2020 Elsevier B.V. Abrasive waterjet (AWJ) is widely used for machining of advanced (e.g. nickel-based) superalloys as it offers high material removal rates and low cutting temperatures. However, the inadequate surface integrity, e.g. large number of scratches and embedded particles in the machined surface, which would induce severe deteriorations of the materials functional performance, has been one of the greatest issues of the AWJ machining technique. To solve this problem, this research proposed a dual-process abrasive waterjet machining method, whereby two different functions of abrasive waterjet were employed: materials removal (first process) and surface modification (secondary process), hence, to improve the workpiece surface integrity. Two types of entrained particles, i.e. with sharp cutting edges (e.g. garnet) and smooth surfaces (e.g. stainless steel ball), that depending on their kinetic energy density can either cut or modify the workpiece surface respectively, are employed for these the two constitutive processes of the proposed dual-waterjet machining method. A critical standoff distance and inclination angle of the waterjet nozzle has been defined for the surface modification process thus, to eliminate the embedded particles and scratches left by the first cutting process while also introducing a surface strengthening effect. To support this approach, a mathematical model has been proposed for determining the surface modification parameters (e.g. jet feed speed and abrasive flow rate). In-depth analysis of the microstructural and metallurgical alternations of the machined workpiece surface and superficial layer have also been conducted to reveal the mechanisms responsible for the surface damage elimination and surface strengthening. Moreover, a four point bending fatigue test has been conducted to validate the mechanical performance, whereby a significant improvement of the fatigue life on the machined workpiece was achieved when compared with the case that single AWJ cutting method (91 %) and conventional machining (34 %) are employed. This proves that the proposed dual-processing AWJ machining method is of high efficiency to improve the functional performance of components on a single machine tool platform

Influence of surface integrity induced by multiple machining processes upon the fatigue performance of a nickel based superalloy

Machining operations are of key importance to the fatigue performance of nickel based superalloys due to the high thermal/mechanical loadings yielded on the machined workpiece which can significantly alter the surface integrity of the components. Therefore, understanding the influence mechanisms of machining induced surface integrity upon fatigue response is vital to determine their manufacturing processes and applications. In this respect, this paper investigates the surface integrity of nickel based superalloy subject to different mechanical and thermal loadings induced by various machining processes including conventional machining (e.g. finish and rough milling) and nonconventional machining (e.g. laser assisted milling and abrasive waterjet cutting) methods, as well as their influences upon fatigue performance and failure mechanisms. In-depth surface metallurgical and crystallographic analysis has been conducted to reveal the surface damage mechanisms, which allows the description of the machining induced mechanical and thermal alterations on the machined workpiece. Furthermore, the examination of the fractography from the fatigue specimen has been conducted, which enables the understanding of the influence mechanism of the corresponding surface defects on the fatigue crack initiation and propagation, subject to a four points bending fatigue test. While the resulted S-N curves indicate that the high cycle fatigue of machined nickel based superalloy is mainly dominated by the machining induced residual stress conditions, the surface defects from different machining processes can particularly influence fatigue crack initiation and propagation mechanisms in both the low and high cycle regimes

Effect of tool wear on quality in drilling of titanium alloy Ti6Al4V, Part II : Microstructure and Microhardness

Drilling of Ti6Al4V with worn tools can introduce superficial and easily measured features such as increase of cutting forces, entry and exit burrs and surface quality issues and defects. Such issues were presented in the part I of this paper. In part II, subsurface quality alterations,such as changes of the microstructure and microhardness variation is considered by preparing metallographic sections and measurement, mapping of the depth of grain deformation, and microhardness in these sections. Drastic changes in the microstructure and microhardness were found in sections drilled with drills with large wear lands,particularly in the dry cutting tests. These measurements emphasize the importance of detection of tool wear and ensuring coolant flow in drilling of holes in titanium components.CC BY-NC-ND 3.0</p

Abrasive Water Jet Milling as An Efficient Manufacturing Method for Superalloy Gas Turbine Components

In order to improve efficiency when manufacturing gas turbine components, alternative machining techniques need to be explored. In this work, abrasive water jet (AWJ) machining by milling has been investigated as an alternative to traditional milling. Various test campaigns have been conducted to show different aspects of using AWJ milling for the machining of superalloys, such as alloy 718. The test campaigns span from studies of individual AWJ-milled tracks, multi-pass tracks, and the machining of larger components and features with complex geometry. In regard to material removal rates, these studies show that AWJ milling is able to compete with traditional semi/finish milling but may not reach as high an MRR as rough milling when machining in alloy 718. However, AWJ milling requires post-processing which decreases the total MRR. It has been shown that a strong advantage with AWJ milling is to manufacture difficult geometries such as narrow radii, holes, or sharp transitions with kept material removal rates and low impact on the surface integrity of the cut surface. Additionally, abrasive water jet machining (AWJM) offers a range of machining possibilities as it can alter between cutting through and milling. The surface integrity of the AWJM surface is also advantageous as it introduces compressive residual stress but may require post-processing to meet similar surface roughness levels as traditional milling and to remove unwanted AWJM particles from the machined surface

Effect of tool wear on quality in drilling of titanium alloy Ti6Al4V, Part I : Cutting Forces, Burr Formation, Surface Quality and Defects

Titanium's Ti6Al4V, alloy is an important material with a wide range of applications in the aerospace industry.Due to its high strength, machining this material for desired quality at high material removal rate is challenging and may lead to high tool wear rate. As a result,this material may be machined with worn tools and the effects of tool wear on machining quality need to be investigated.In this experimental paper, it is shown how drills of various wear levels affect the cutting forces, surface quality and burr formation. Furthermore, it is shown that high cutting forces and high plastic deformation, along with high temperatures that arise in cutting with worn tools may lead to initiation of microscopic cracks in the workpiece material in proximity of the drilling zone.CC BY-NC-ND 3.0</p