MEB3103

Metal Cutting & Machine Tools

Cutting tools
 Cutting Tool Technology

Two principal aspects:

 1. Tool geometry
 2. Tool material
CLASSIFICATION
According to the number of major cutting edges
(points) involved as follows:

• Single point: e.g., turning tools, shaping, planning

and slotting tools and boring tools

• Double (two) point: e.g., drills

• Multipoint (more than two): e.g., milling cutters,

broaching tools, hobs, gear shaping cutters etc.
 and other very hard tool materials

Single point cutting tool

Three ways of holding and presenting the cutting edge for a single-point
tool:
(a) solid tool, typical of HSS;
(b) brazed insert, one way of holding a cemented carbide insert; and
(c) mechanically clamped insert, used for cemented carbides, ceramics,
Common insert shapes: (a) round, (b) square, (c) rhombus with two 80point angles,
(d) hexagon with three 80point angles, (e) triangle (equilateral), (f) rhombus with
two 55 point angles, (g) rhombus with two 35point angles. Also shown are typical
features of the geometry.
 What is tool signature ? And what are
the different systems of specifying tool
geometry?
 In simple words The numerical code that
describes all the key angles of a given cutting
tool is called tool signature

 Convenient way to specify tool angles by use of

standardized abbreviated system is known as
tool signature or tool nomenclature. The tool
signature comprises of seven elements and is
specified in different systems .
Systems of description of tool geometry

1. Tool-in-Hand System
2. Machine Reference System - ASA system
3. Tool Reference Systems
◦ Orthogonal Rake System - ORS
◦ Normal Rake System - NRS
4. Work Reference System - WRS
1. Tool-in-Hand System
 There is no quantitative information, i.e., value of
the angles.
IMPORTANT TERMS OF SINGLE POINT
CUTTING TOOL
 seven element defining the tool signature
2. Machine Reference System - ASA
system
 ASA ( American Standards Association) system
 πR = Reference plane; plane perpendicular to the
velocity vector
 πX = Machine longitudinal plane; plane perpendicular

to πR and taken in the direction of assumed

longitudinal feed
 πY = Machine Transverse plane; plane perpendicular

to both πR and πX [This plane is taken in the direction

of assumed cross feed]
 The axes Xm, Ym and Zm are in the direction of

longitudinal feed, cross feed and cutting velocity

(vector) respectively.
[Link] Rake System – ORS

 Planes and axes of reference

 πR = Reference plane perpendicular to the cutting
velocity vector, CV
 πC = cutting plane; plane perpendicular to πR and

taken along the principal cutting edge

 πO = Orthogonal plane; plane perpendicular to

both πR and πC and the axes;

 Xo = along the line of intersection of πR and πO
 Yo = along the line of intersection of πR and πC
 Zo = along the velocity vector, i.e., normal to both

Xo and Yo axes.
The main geometrical angles used to express
tool geometry in Orthogonal Rake System (ORS)
• Rake angles

 γo = orthogonal rake: angle of inclination of the rake surface from Reference

plane, πR and measured on the orthogonal plane, πo
 λ = inclination angle; angle between πC from the direction of assumed
longitudinal feed [πX] and measured on πC
•
Clearance angles
 αo = orthogonal clearance of the principal flank: angle of inclination of the

principal flank from πC and measured on πo

 αo’ = auxiliary orthogonal clearance: angle of inclination of the auxiliary flank

from auxiliary cutting plane, πC’ and measured on auxiliary orthogonal plane,
πo’ as indicated in Fig. 3.8.

• Cutting angles
 φ = principal cutting edge angle: angle between πC and the direction of

assumed longitudinal feed or πX and measured on πR

 φ1 = auxiliary cutting angle: angle between πC’ and πX and measured on πR

• Nose radius, r (mm)

 r = radius of curvature of tool tip

According to ORS

 Tool signature λ, γo, αo, αo’, φ1, φ, r (mm)

 0 – 10 -16 – 6 – 6 - 8 – 90 – 1 mm
 Characteristics of
cutting tool
 Hardness
 Hot Hardness (Elevated temperatures)
 Toughness (Impact forces on tool in

interrupted operations)
 Wear resistance (tool life to be considered)
 Low Friction
 Thermal stability
 Chemical stability or inertness (to avoid

adverse reactions)
 Cutting tool materials

 Carbon & medium alloy steels

 High speed steels
 Cast-cobalt alloys
 Carbides
 Coated tools
 Alumina-based ceramics
 Cubic boron nitride
 Silicon-nitride-base ceramics
 Diamond
 Whisker-reinforced materials
 Carbon and Medium alloy
steels

 Oldest of tool materials

 Used for drills taps,broaches,reamers
 Inexpensive ,easily shaped,sharpened
 No sufficient hardness and wear resistance
 Limited to low cutting speed operation
 High speed steels

 Hardened to various depths

 Good wear resistance
 Relatively
 Suitable for high positive rake angle tools
 Two basic types of HSS

 Molybdenum ( M-series)
 Tungsten ( T-series)
 M-series
 Contains 10% molybdenum, chromium,
vanadium, tungsten, cobalt
 Higher, abrasion resistance
 H.S.S. are majorly made of M-series 

T-series
 12 % - 18 % tungsten, chromium, vanadium &
cobalt
 undergoes less distortion during heat treating
 H.S.S. available in wrought ,cast & sintered
(Powder metallurgy)

 Coated for better performance

 Subjected to surface treatments such as

case-hardening for improved hardness and
wear resistance or steam treatment at
elevated temperatures

 High speed steels account for largest

tonnage
 Cast-Cobalt
alloys
 Commonly known as stellite tools
 Composition ranges – 38% - 53 % cobalt
30%- 33% chromium
10%-20%tungsten
 Good wear resistance ( higher hardness)
 Less tough than high-speed steels and sensitive to
impact forces
 Less suitable than high-speed steels for interrupted
cutting operations
 Continuous roughing cuts – relatively high g=feeds &
speeds
 Finishing cuts are at lower feed and depth of cut
 Ceramics

 Low thermal conductivity ,resistance ,high

temperature
 Resistance to flank wear and crater wear
 Ceramics are suitable materials for tools
 Al2O3 (most commonly used)
 High cutting speeds
 Cast iron
 Carbides
3-groups of materials
 Alloy steels
 High speed steels
 Cast alloys

 These carbides are also known as cemented or

sintered carbides
 High elastic modulus,thermal conductivity
 Low thermal expansion

2-groups of carbides used for machining operations

 tungsten carbide
 titanium carbide
 Tungsten Carbide

 Composite material consisting of tungsten-carbide particles

bonded together

 Alternate name is cemented carbides

 Manufactured with powder metallurgy techniques

 Particles 1-5 Mum in size are pressed & sintered to desired shape

 Amount of cobalt present affects properties of carbide tools

 As cobalt content increases – strength hardness & wear

resistance increases
 Titanium carbide

 Titanium carbide has higher wear resistance

than tungsten carbide

 Nickel-Molybdenum alloy as matrix – Tic

suitable for machining hard materials

 Steels & cast irons

 Speeds higher than those for tungsten

carbide
Inserts
 Inserts

 Individual cutting tool with severed cutting points

 Clamped on tool shanks with locking mechanisms
 Inserts also brazed to the tools
 Clamping is preferred method for securing an insert
 Carbide Inserts available in various shapes-Square,
Triangle, Diamond and round
 Strength depends on the shape
 Inserts honed, chamfered or produced with negative
land to improve edge strength
Insert Attachment

Fig : Methods of
attaching inserts to
toolholders : (a)
Clamping and (b)
Wing lockpins. (c)
Examples of inserts
attached to
toolholders with
threadless lockpins,
which are secured
with side screws.
Edge Strength
Fig : Relative edge
strength and
tendency for
chipping and
breaking of inserts
with various
shapes. Strength
refers to the cutting
edge shown by the
included angles.

Fig : edge preparation of

inserts to improve edge
strength.
 Chip breakers:
Purpose :
 Eliminating long chips
 Controlling chip flow during machining
 Reducing vibration & heat generated
 Selection depends on feed and depth

of cut
 Work piece material,type of chip

produced during cutting

 Coated tools

 High strength and toughness but generally

abrasive and chemically reactive with tool
materials

Unique Properties :
 Lower Friction
 High resistance to cracks and wear
 High Cutting speeds and low time & costs
 Longer tool life
 Coating materials
 Titanium nitride (TiN)
 Titanium carbide (Tic)
 Titanium Carbonitride (TicN)
 Aluminum oxide (Al2O3)thickness range – 2-15 µm (80-
[Link])

Techniques used :
 Chemical –vapor deposition (CVD)

Plasma assisted CVD

 Physical-vapor deposition(PVD)

 Medium –temperature chemical- vapor

deposition(MTCVD)
 Properties for Group of Materials

Fig : Ranges of properties

for various groups of
tool materials.
 Cutting tool Characteristics for coating

 High hardness
 Chemical stability
 Low thermal conductivity
 Good bonding
 Little or no Porosity

Titanium nitride (TiN) coating :

 Low friction coefficients
 High hardness
 Resistance to high temperatures
 Good adhesion to substrate
 High life of high speed-steel tools

Titanium carbide (TiC) coating:

 Titanium carbide coatings on tungsten-carbide inserts have high flank
wear resistance.
Multi Phase Coatings :
 First layer –Should bond well with substrate
 Outer layer – Resist wear and have low thermal
conductivity
 Intermediate layer – Bond well & compatible with both
layers
 Coatings of alternating multipurpose layers are also
formed.
Multiphase
Coatings

Fig : Multiphase coatings on a

tungsten-carbide
substrate. Three
alternating layers of
aluminum oxide are
separated by very thin
layers of titanium nitride.
Inserts with as many as
thirteen layers of
coatings have been
made. Coating thick
nesses are typically in
the range of 2 to 10 µm.
 Diamond Coated tools

 Use of Polycrystalline diamond as a coating

 Difficult to adhere diamond film to substrate
 Thin-film diamond coated inserts now
commercially available
 Thin films deposited on substrate with PVD & CVD
techniques
 Thick films obtained by growing large sheet of
pure diamond
 Diamond coated tools particularly effective in
machining non-ferrous and abrasive materials
 New Coating materials :

 Titanium carbo nitride (TiCN)

 Titanium Aluminum Nitride(TiAlN)
 Chromium Based coatings
 Chromium carbide
 Zirconium Nitride (ZrN)
 Hafnium nitride (HfN)
 Recent developments gives nano coating & composite coating

Ion Implementation :
 Ions placed into the surface of cutting tool
 No change in the dimensions of tool
 Nitrogen-ion Implanted carbide tools used for alloy steels & stainless
steels
 Xeon – ion implantation of tools as under development
 Alumina-Based ceramics

 Cold-Pressed Into insert shapes under high pressure and

sintered at high temperature
 High Abrasion resistance and hot hardness
 Chemically stable than high speed steels & carbides
 So less tendency to adhere to metals
 Good surface finish obtained in cutting cast iron and steels
 Negative rake-angle preferred to avoid chipping due to poor
tensile strength

Cermets, Black or Hot- Pressed :

 70% aluminum oxide & 30 % titanium carbide
 cermets(ceramics & metal)
 Cermets contain molybdenum carbide, niobium carbide and
tantalum carbide.
 Cubic boron Nitride
( CBN )
 Made by bonding ( 0.5-1.0 mm ( 0.02-0.04-in)
 Layer of poly crystalline cubic boron nitride to a carbide substrate by sintering
under pressure
 While carbide provides shock resistance CBN layer provides high resistance and
cutting edge strength
 Cubic boron nitride tools are made in small sizes without substrate

Fig : (a) Construction of a polycrystalline cubic boron nitride or a diamond layer on a tungsten-carbide insert. (b) Inserts with
polycrystalline cubic boron nitride tips (top row) and solid polycrystalline CBN inserts (bottom row).
 Silicon-Nitride based ceramics (SiN)

 They consists various addition of Aluminum Oxide ythrium oxide,

titanium carbide

 SiN have toughness, hot hardened & good thermal – shock

resistance

 SiN base material is Silicon

 High thermal & shock resistance

 Recommended for machining cast iron and nickel based super

alloys at intermediate cutting speeds
 Diamond

 Hardest known substance

 Low friction, high wear resistance
 Ability to maintain sharp cutting edge
 Single crystal diamond of various carats used
for special applications
 Machining copper—front precision optical
mirrors for ( SDI)
 Diamond is brittle , tool shape & sharpened is
important
 Low rake angle used for string cutting edge
 Polycrystalline-Diamond ( PCD )
Tools

 Used for wire drawing of fine wires

 Small synthesis crystal fused by high pressure and
temperature
 Bonded to a carbide substrate
 Diamond tools can be used fir any speed
 Suitable for light un-interrupted finishing cuts
 To avoid tool fracture single crystal diamond is to
be re-sharpened as it becomes dull
 Also used as an abrasive in grinding and polishing
operations
Thank you