Cutting characteristics of SCM4 and S55C using tungsten-carbide tool

Abstract

The study is concerned with the improvement of machinability by finding the correlations among such cutting characteristics as tool wear, cutting forces, surface conditions and types of chip formation. Cutting tests of tungsten-carbide inserts are carried out in turning operations of SCM4 and S55C, with various cutting conditions. The wear mechanisms, as machining characteristics between SCM4 and S55C are quite different, particularly in view of the formation of crater wear. The crater wear for SCM4 shows very rapid growth, sometimes as much as ten times, compared with S55C. Therefore, the criterion of tool life between these materials should be determined considering the differences of failure mechanism, in order to obtain useful tool life equations. On the other hand, cutting forces, surface conditions and types of chip formation shows similar tendency between these materials. The relationships among tool life, cutting speed, feed, depth of cut, cutting forces, types of chip formation and surface finish are formed from the experimental observation, particularly focused on the aspect of tool wear. The machining characteristics of these materials are intensively discussed.