Comparative study of tool wear in milling titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) using PVD and CVD coated cutting tool

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to compare machining performance between chemical vapor deposition (CVD)- and physical vapor deposition (PVD)-coated cutting tools to obtain the optimal cutting parameters based on different types of tools for machining titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V).

Design/methodology/approach

The design of the experiment was constructed using the response surface methodology (RSM) with the Box–Behnken method. Two types of round-shaped tungsten carbide inserts were used in this experiment, namely, PVD TiAlN/AlCrN insert tool and CVD TiCN/Al₂O₃ insert tool. The titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) material was used throughout this experiment. The tool wear and microstructure analysis were measured using a tool maker microscope, an optical microscope and a scanning electron machine.

Findings

The PVD TiAlN/AlCrN insert tool produces the lowest tool wear that significantly prolongs the cutting tool life compared to the CVD TiCN/Al₂O₃ insert tool. In addition, depth of cut was the main factor affecting the tool life, followed by cutting speed and feed rate.

Originality/value

This study was conducted to compare machining performance between CVD- and PVD-coated cutting tools to obtain the optimal cutting parameters based on different types of tools for machining titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V). In addition, the information presented in this paper helps reduce the manufacturing cost and setup time for machining titanium alloy. Finally, tool wear comparison between PVD- and CVD-coated titanium alloys was also presented for future improvement for tool manufacturing application.

Citation

Raja Abdullah, R.I., Redzuwan, B.I., Abdul Aziz, M.S. and Kasim, M.S. (2017), "Comparative study of tool wear in milling titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) using PVD and CVD coated cutting tool", Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, Vol. 69 No. 3, pp. 363-370. https://doi.org/10.1108/ILT-09-2016-0202