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Investigation of Chip-Tool Interface Temperature during Turning of Hardened

AISI 4340 Alloy Steel Using Multi-Layer Coated Carbide Inserts

Article · May 2013

DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.701.354

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 Investigation of chip-tool interface temperature during turning of
hardened AISI 4340 alloy steel using multi-layer coated carbide inserts
Satish Chinchanikar1, a, S. K. Choudhury2, b and A. P. Kulkarni3, c
1
Ph.D scholar, Mechanical Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India
2
Professor, Mechanical Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India
3
Associate professor, Mechanical Engineering Department, Vishwakarma Institute of Information
Technology, Pune, India
a
satish@iitk.ac.in, bchoudhry@iitk.ac.in, capk_31173@rediffmail.com

Keywords: Interface temperature, Tool-work thermocouple, hardened steel, Turning, Coated

inserts.

Abstract. In present work effect of work material hardness and cutting parameters on chip-tool
interface temperature was investigated during turning of AISI 4340 steel hardened at two different
levels of hardness 35 and 45 HRC, respectively, using multi-layer CVD TiCN/Al2O3/TiN coated
carbide inserts. A tool-work thermocouple principle was used to measure the interface temperature
during turning. Relationship between the E.M.F. signal generated during turning and the interface
temperature was established by a tool-work calibration set-up. The correlations between the cutting
parameters and the chip-tool interface temperature are developed by minimizing the least squares
error between experimental and predicted values of interface temperature obtained in the wide
range of cutting conditions. The correlation coefficient found close to 0.95, which showed that the
developed model is reliable and could be used effectively for predicting the interface temperature
for the given tool and work material pair and within the domain of the cutting parameters.
Experimental observations indicate that the interface temperature is higher for harder work material
and get affected mostly by cutting speed followed by feed. However, depth of cut has little
influence on interface temperature irrespective of the hardness of the workpiece.

Introduction
Heat generated in machining operation is an important factor in addressing metal cutting issues like
dimensional accuracy, surface integrity and tool life. In the present context of sustainable
manufacturing, the increasing demands for most economical and environmental friendly
manufacturing processes have attracted many researchers in the field of dry and high speed
machining of hardened steel with coated carbide inserts; as an economical alternative to costly tool
materials like CBN and ceramic tools. However, higher workpiece hardness generates higher
tempertaures in the cutting zone which have a very strong influence on the tool wear rate through
the different tool wear mechanisms like abrasion, adhesion and diffusion. Therefore, measurement
of the chip-tool interface temperature during machining will be extremely valuable and represents a
key issue.
A significant emphasis has been placed on developing predictive models in metal cutting.
Numerical methods and analytical modelling to evaluate the steady state temperature and cutting
temperature distribution in metal cutting have been widely reported [1-2]. However, prediction
accuracy depends upon the basic assumptions and boundary conditions used in the study. Further,
understanding of the precise nature of workpiece deformation i.e. elastic or plastic flow under the
tool flank and the resulting flow stress of the workpiece material during metal cutting is one of the
main obstacles in the development of an analytical model
Several conduction techniques like tool-chip thermocouple, embedded thermocouple and thermo-
colours and radiation techniques like infrared thermometry, pyrometry have been developoed over
the past century to evaluate the chip-tool interface temperature arising in the cutting zone during
machining. Trigger [3] investigated the chip-tool interface temperature by thermocouple technique.

1
Grezsik et al. [4] investigated the variations of the chip-tool interface temperature using standard
thermocouple embedded in the workpiece. Interface teperature was observed to be more influenced
by thermal propertires of the workpiece and tool coating.
A group of researchers investigated the efffect of cutting parameters and variation in the nose radius
on the interface teperature using tool-chip thermocouple/ embedded thermocouple technique [5-9].
Most of the studies concluded that the tool-chip interface temperature increases with the increase in
cutting speed, feed and depth of cut. However, interface temperature decreases with the increase in
tool nose radius. Studies performed by embedded thermocouple technique also showed the increase
in interface temperature with cutting parameters.
Non-contact radiation techniques like infrared thermometry, pyrometry have been used to evaluate
the chip-tool interface temperature [10-11]. However, accracy of the results depend upon the exact
values of the emissivity of the cutting tool material and temperature of the radiating surface.
Further, when fast flowing chip comes on the rake face these methods give erattic results due to
accessible issue of the exact rake/flank surface. Metallographic techniques like observing the micr-
structural changes of the cutting tool/workpiece after cutting can be used to find the temperature
near the rake face. However, this technique is laborious and time consuming. Further, this technique
is applicable to only those tool materials that exhibit a change in the microstructure with
temperature.
Although, sufficient studies are available on the effect of cutting conditions on chip-tool interface
temperature , almost no attempt have been made to study the effect of work material hardness on
interface temperature during turning of hardened AISI 4340 steel using coated carbide tools. Hence
in the present study, effect of work material hardness and cutting parameters on chip-tool interface
temperature is investigated during turning of AISI 4340 steel hardened at different levels of
hardness; 35 and 45 HRC, respectively. Further, correlations between the cutting parameters with
the chip-tool interface temperature are developed by varying the cutting speed, feed and depth of
cut in the wide range of cutting conditions. Relationship between the E.M.F. and the corresponding
temperature is established using a tool-work calibration set-up for 35 and 45 HRC workpiece,
respectively.

Experimental Details

AISI 4340 steel having two distinct levels of hardness: 35 (33-35) and 45 (45-47) HRC was used as
a workpiece material having diameter of 90 mm. Experiments were performed using commercially
available multi-layer CVD coated TiCN/Al2O3/TiN cemented carbide inserts (Kennametal
KC9110). The insets have identical geometry designated by ISO as CNMG 120408 (800 diamond
shape with 0.8 mm nose radius). A right hand style tool holder designated by ISO as PCBNR
2020K12 was used for mounting the inserts.
Experiments were carried out varying the cutting speed, feed and depth of cut. Ranges of cutting
speed , feed and depth of cut were decided on the basis of machine capability, literature review and
tool manufacturer’s recommendation [15]. The selected ranges of parameters are given in Table 1.
Central rotatable composite design (CCD) test matrix with an alpha value of 1.6817 was used for
planning of experiments [16]. In present work, 15 experiments were performed on each work
material hardened to 35 and 45 HRC, respectively.

Table 1 Highest and lowest values of cutting parameters

Parameter Lowest Center Highest
point
Cutting speed (V) [m/min]
At work material hardness: 35 HRC 100 200 300
At work material hardness: 45 HRC 100 150 200
Feed (f) [mm/rev] 0.1 0.2 0.3
Depth of cut (d) [mm] 0.5 1.5 2.5

2
Tool-work thermocouple and calibration set-up

The classical tool-work thermocouple method was used to to deterine the thermal e.m.f. signals
generated at a hot junction produced by the top layer of the coating and the workpiece as shown in
Fig. 1(a). In this experimental set-up tool and workpiece contact point acted as the hot junction and
the other end of the workpiece and the tool acted as a cold junction. One wire was connected to the
rear end of the workpiece (cold junction) through carbon brush and was taken to multi-meter.
Another wire was screwed to the cutting insert (hot junction) and was connected to multi-meter.
Circuit is completed when tool and workpiece came in contact. In order to avoid the generation of
secondary e.m.f., both tool and workpiece was insulated properly durning machining and calibration
process.

(a) (b) (c)

Fig.1. (a) Schematic experimental set-up (b) Experimental set-up (c) Calibration set-up

(a) (b)
Fig.2. (a) Calibration curve for 35 HRC workpiece (b) Calibration curve for 45 HRC workpiece

Results and Discussion

Experiments were carried out varying cutting speed, feed and depth of cut as per the CCD test
matrix (Table 1). For each cutting test thermo-electric e.m.f. was measured. In order to establish the
relationship between the e.m.f. generated and the corresponding temperature, a calibration set-up
was developed as shown in Figs. 1(b) and (c). In this set-up tool-work thermocouple junction was
formed using a coated carbide insert and long continuous chip. A heating coil was used for heating
the junction point of coated insert and chip. A standard K-type thermocouple wire was mounted just
near the junction point and connected to temperature indicator. E.M.F. generated between the hot
junction and cold junction was monitored by a digital multi-meter. The linear relationship obtained
for the coated carbide tool and hardened workpiece; 35 and 45 HRC, is shown in Figs. 2(a) and (b),
respectively.
3
A tool-chip interface temperature model considering the effect of cutting speed, feed and depth of
cut was developed based on experimental data. The average interface temperature results were
analyzed using the least error square method using DataFit software. A chip-tool interface
temperature model is expressed as below.

Work material hardness: 35 HRC Work material hardness: 45 HRC

T f 196.9*V 0.2818 * f 0.09818 * d 0.05024 T f 126.8367*V 0.3968 * f 0.1104 * d 0.05141

The R-squared values of model are 0.9686 (35 HRC) and 0.9582 (45 HRC), which indicates that the
developed model is reliable and could be used effectively for predicting the average chip-tool
interface temperature during turning for the given tool and work material pair and within the
domain of the cutting parameters.
Curves showing the interface temperature by varying one of the input parameters and keeping other
parameters constant are plotted using developed models. Figs. 3(a) – (c) depicts the variation of
chip-tool interface temperature with cutting speed, feed and depth of cut, respectively. It can be
seen that the interface temperature increases with increase in cutting parameters and is higher for
harder work material. However, cutting speed has more prominant effect than feed and depth of cut
has almost negligible influence on the chip-tool interface temperature. Similarly, interface
temperature curves are plotted by varying the work material hardness in the range of 35 to 45 HRC
as shown in Fig. 3(d). For this, a tool-chip interface temperature model in terms of cutting
parameters and workpiece hardness is developed and expressed as below:
Tf 24.9606*V 0.3669 * f 0.1112 * d 0.0525 * H 0.4665 (R2= 0.9724)
It can be seen that workpiece hardness followed by cutting speed become the most influencing
parameters, on chip-tool interface temperature. It can be also seen that the interface temperature
almost increases linearly with the workpiece hardness (Fig. 3(d)). Developed model could be used
effectively for predicting the average chip-tool interface temperature within the domain of the
cutting parameters and workpiece hardness so as to have better dimensional accuracy and tool life.

(a) (b)

(c) (d)
Fig.3. Variation of interface temperature with (a) cutting speed (b) feed (c) depth of cut and (d) with
workpiece hardness

4
 Conclusions

Turning experiments on AISI 4340 alloy steel hardened to 35 and 45 HRC were performed with
CVD coated multi-layer TiCN/Al2O3/TiN carbide tool. A chip-tool interface temperature model was
developed considering the effect of cuttting speed, feed, depth of cut amd workpiece hardness. The
classical tool-work thermocouple method was used to to deterine the thermal e.m.f. signals
generated at a hot junction produced by the top layer of the coating and the chip. In order to
establish the relationship between the e.m.f. generated and the corresponding temperature, a
calibration set-up was developed. The developed regression model shows excellent fit and predicted
results are very close to the experimental results which showed that the developed model is reliable
and could be used effectively for predicting the interface temperature for the given tool and work
material pair and within the domain of the cutting parameters. Experimental observations indicate
that the interface temperature increases with increase in cutting parameters and is higher for harder
work material. It has been observed that the workpiece hardness followed by cutting speed become
the most influencing parameters on chip-tool interface temperature. However, depth of cut has
almost negligible influence on the chip-tool interface temperature. It has been also observed that the
interface temperature almost increases linearly with the workpiece hardness.

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