Polycrystalline boron nitride cutting tools are widely used for hard-part steel turning due to their high wear
resistance and long durability, however the issue of adhesion of workpiece to the cutting tool significantly affects
the cutting tool lifetime. Using a nanosecond fibre laser surface texturing of a polycrystalline boron nitride single
point cutting tool is proposed to improve its wear properties and extend tool life in turning of continuous AISI
L2 hardened steel components. The textures, with topographical features’ depths and pitch ranging from tens
of nanometers to tens of micrometers, were first milled using a fibre laser (1064-nm wavelength) at different
fluences, feed speeds and pulse durations, and finally characterised using a combination of optical microscopy
and an Alicona 3D high resolution optical microscopy. The effect of different textures on the wear properties
was investigated in turning tests under dry conditions and compared to a benchmark cutting tool made of the
same material. The tests were stopped every 6 passes and the wear analysed. The online monitoring and postprocessing of the cutting forces and the microscopical characterisation of the tested cutting tools allowed the
evaluation of the effects of texture design on the wear progression. For textures depths in the order of 1.7 μm
and post process roughness in the order of tens of nanometers, a reduction of cutting force and a decreased
flank wear were achieved in dry turning.
History
School
Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering
PACELLA. M., 2019. Effect of laser micro-texturing on the performance of a polycrystalline boron nitride. Presented at the ILAS 2019 6th Industrial Laser Applications Symposium, Crewe, Uk, 20-21st March.
Version
AM (Accepted Manuscript)
Publisher statement
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