Cutting-Tool Materials

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 Cutting Tools
• One of most important components in machining
process
• Performance will determine efficiency of operation
• Two basic types (excluding abrasives)
• Single point and multiple point
• Must have rake and clearance angles ground or
formed on them

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 Cutting-Tool Materials
• Toolbits generally made of seven materials
• High-speed steel
• Cast alloys (such as stellite)
• Cemented carbides
• Ceramics
• Cermets
• Cubic Boron Nitride
• Polycrystalline Diamond

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 Cutting Tool Properties
• Hardness
• Cutting tool material must be 1 1/2 times harder than
the material it is being used to machine.

• Capable of maintaining a red hardness

during machining operation
• Red hardness: ability of cutting tool to maintain
sharp cutting edge
• Also referred to as hot hardness or hot strength

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 Cutting Tool Properties
• Wear Resistance
• Able to maintain sharpened edge throughout the
cutting operation
• Same as abrasive resistance

• Shock Resistance
• Able to take the cutting loads and forces

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 Cutting Tool Properties

• Shape and Configuration

• Must be available for use in different sizes and
shapes.

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High-Speed Steel
• May contain combinations of tungsten,
chromium, vanadium, molybdenum, cobalt
• Can take heavy cuts, withstand shock and
maintain sharp cutting edge under red heat
• Generally two types (general purpose)
• Molybdenum-base (Group M)
• Tungsten-base (Group T)
• Cobalt added if more red hardness desired
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 Cast Alloy
• Usually contain 25% to 35% chromium, 4% to 25%
tungsten and 1% to 3% carbon
• Remainder cobalt
• Qualities
• High hardness
• High resistance to wear
• Excellent red-hardness
• Operate 2 ½ times speed of high-speed steel
• Weaker and more brittle than high-speed steel
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Carbide Cutting Tools
• First used in Germany during WW II as
substitute for diamonds
• Various types of cemented (sintered) carbides
developed to suit different materials and
machining operations
• Good wear resistance
• Operate at speeds ranging 150 to 1200 sf/min
• Can machine metals at speeds that cause
cutting edge to become red hot without loosing
harness
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Manufacture of Cemented
Carbides
• Products of powder metallurgy process
• Tantalum, titanium, niobium
• Operations
• Blending
• Compaction
• Presintering
• Sintering

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Cemented-Carbide Applications
• Used extensively in manufacture of metal-
cutting tools
• Extreme hardness and good wear-resistance
• First used in machining operations as lathe
cutting tools
• Majority are single-point cutting tools used on
lathes and milling machines

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 Additive Characteristics
• Titanium carbide
• Addition provides resistance to tool cratering
• Content increased
• Toughness of tool decreased
• Abrasive wear resistance at cutting edge lowered
• Tantalum carbide
• Addition provides resistance to tool cratering
• Without affecting abrasive wear resistance
• Addition increases tool's resistance to deformation
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Coatings
• Titanium carbide
• High wear and abrasion resistance
(moderate speed)
• Used for roughing and finishing
• Titanium nitride
• Extremely hard, good crater resistance
• Excellent lubricating properties
• Aluminum oxide
• Provides chemical stability
• Maintains hardness at high temperatures
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 Tool
Geometry
Terms adopted
by ASME

SIDE RELIEF
SIDE CLEARANCE

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Permission required for reproduction or display.
 Cutting-Tool Terms

• Front, End, Relief

(Clearance)
• Allows end of cutting tool to
enter work
• Side Relief (Side)
• Permits side of tool to
advance into work

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 15

Permission required for reproduction or display.
Cutting-Tool Terms
• Side Cutting Edge Angle
• Angle cutting edge meets work
• Positive
• Negative - protects point at start and end of cut
• Nose Radius
• Strengthens finishing point of tool
• Improves surface finish on work
• Should be twice amount of feed per revolution
• Too large – chatter; too small – weakens point

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 Side Rake
• Large as possible to allow
chips to escape
• Amount determined
• Type and grade of cutting tool
• Type of material being cut
• Feed per revolution
• Angle of keenness
• Formed by side rake and side
clearance

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Permission required for reproduction or display.
 Back Rake
• Angle formed between top face of tool and top
of tool shank
• Positive
• Top face slopes downward
away from point
• Negative
• Top face slopes upward
away from point
• Neutral

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Permission required for reproduction or display.
Cemented-Carbide Cutting-Tool
Angles and Clearances
• Vary greatly
• Depend on three factors
• Hardness of cutting tool
• Workpiece material
• Type of cutting operation
• May have to be altered slightly to suit various
conditions encountered

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Metal-Cutting

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 Drilling
• Multi-edge cutting tool that cuts on the point
• Drill's cutting edges (lips) provided with lip clearance
to permit point to penetrate workpiece as drill
revolves
• Rake angle provided by helical-shaped flutes
• Slope away from cutting edge
• Angle of keeness
• Angle between rake angle and clearance angle

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Characteristics of a Chip formation
Drill Point of a drill

Cutting-point angles for

standard drill
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