Surface engineering of cutting tools (single point or multipoint) through advanced coatings (e.g., TiN) has contributed towards considerable improvement of tool life, productivity and machining quality [1] by modifying the tool substrate. New coating species (e.g., TiAlN) are also being developed to further improve the performance of cutting tools. In this study, milling tests were carried out with a TiN and TiAlN coated milling cutter to compare their performance. Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) technique was used to deposit the coatings after carefully preparing the cutting edges. Flank wear measurement in the milling cutter teeth was used as the criterion for assessing performance of the coatings. It has been found that TiAlN coating has significantly reduced the flank wear in the milling cutter teeth compared to TiN coating both at new and reground conditions of the cutter. Abrasive and adhesive wear were identified as the main mechanisms of the flank wear in both TiAlN and TiN coated teeth. The information should be useful for tool designers, coating suppliers and manufacturing engineers
