Effect of coating materials on thermal loading in machining difficult-to-cut materials
Abstract
The analysis of machining of difficult‐to‐cut materials is a challenging problem. This is due to the hard environment through which the cutting tool has to operate. This environment includes extreme mechanical loadings coupled to intense thermal gradients. This combination limits the tool life even in the presence of several protective tool coatings. This paper deals with a study on the effect of coating materials on thermal loading and tool wear. For the purpose, the study analyzes the temperature field inside the tool and its evolution at the tool‐chip interface. Results indicate that the temperature rise into the insert is depending on coating materials, in the vicinity of the tool rake face. It therefore controls cutting tool life since intensity of wear at the tool surface is directly proportional to the local efficiency of heat removal. This in turn depends on the effective values of the thermal conductivities of the tool substrate and of the coating material, as on the heat transfer coefficient.