th

Proceedings of the 8 ASME 2013 Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference

MSEC2013
June 10-14, 2013, Madison, Wisconsin, USA

MSEC2013-1052

MACHINING OF VP20ISOF STEEL WITH RESHARPENED CARBIDE TOOLS IN

END MILLING

Ricardo Ribeiro Moura

Federal University of Uberlândia
Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Álisson Rocha Machado

Federal University of Uberlândia
Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil

KEYWORDS more modern machines or variation in cutting parameters. The

Carbide tools, Resharpened tools, TiAlN, AlCrN, Tool life.
ABSTRACT
The main objective of the present work is to determine
the performance of resharpened integral coated cemented
carbide end milling tools. Tools as new and after they have
been resharpened were tested, during machining of hard steel
used in the mold and die industry. The coatings used were
TiAlN and AlCrN. The cutting speed was varied, keeping the
depth of cut, the cutting width and the feed per tooth
constants. Tests were carried out dry. A 23 factorial design
was used, considering the following factors (and levels):
cutting speed (80 and 100 m / min), tool coating (TiAlN and
AlCrN) and the tool condition (new and reground). The
output parameter considered is the tool life (wear rate). At the
end of the tool life the wear mechanisms were analyzed
within a Scanning Electron Microscopy - SEM. The results
showed that in general the AlCrN coated tools outperformed
the TiAlN. The performance of resharpened tools was very
similar to the new tools, and statistically there is no
significant difference between their tool lives.
INTRODUCTION
Currently, the industry has increasingly sought to obtain
products with high quality, low production cost and high
productivity [1]. The metalworking industry is always
searching for new technologies and methods to reduce the
final cost of production, either through process optimization
or by using tools with new geometries, compounds, coatings,
aim is to obtain high productivity, which in turn is a factor for
competitiveness among the companies in this segment [2].
The cost of a tool is calculated not only by the purchase
price of the insert, but also involves consideration of the
number of pieces that can be produced with it. Therefore, any
research whose objective is to increase tool life or productivity
will be contributing thereby to reduce the tool value. The use of
resharpened tools provides reduction in machining cost and
prolongs the use of a tool in a certain process [2].
New tool materials have been introduced in the market to
attend the demand for the frequent higher mechanical loads
involved in the chip formation processes. The performance of
these materials are generally quantified by tool life, material
removal rates, cutting forces, power consumption, surface
finishing, flexibility of application, and machining costs,
among others [3].
One fraction of the machining costs involves the tool price
divided by the number of parts that can be produced with it,
thus, many researchers focus their work on aiming to improve
the tool life and consequently adding value to the tool [4].
The concern of the mold and die sector with the concept of
cost reduction is not different from other industries. To meet
this reduction companies need software and hardware tools
increasingly powerful, more rapid and rigid CNC machines, use
of modern tooling concepts, tool materials and coatings with
adequate tribological behavior for each specific application [5].
The use of resharpened tools in production lines is
something that has gained strength over the years, especially
with the market introduction of specialized companies in this
segment, but in contrast with sparse literature and scientific
papers that show the performance of these tools.

1 Copyright © 2013 by ASME

 In the present work, the focus is the use of resharpened Microstructural analysis also showed the presence of
integral coated cemented carbide tools in end milling, always manganese sulfides, as seen in Figure 1, that also has an
comparing their performance with new tools. important role at the chip – tool interface.

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES
Tool life tests in end milling process with new and
resharpened tools were carried out to allow comparisons.
Aiming statistical reliability the average results of a test and
three replicas were calculated for each cutting condition
tested. A new tool was always used up to the end of its life in
each test
The workpiece material machined was the ABNT P20
steel (the same designation of ASTM, SAE, AISI and WNr -
DIN 1.2311), one of the steels most used for plastic injection
molds. It was provided in the prismatic form, with dimensions
of 190x250x360 mm3, manufactured by Villares Metals S/A
(Böller Uddeholm Group) with the commercial name of
VP20ISOF. This is a Cr-Mo steel produced through vacuum
degasification with improved machinability by calcium
treatment in the quenched and tempered condition. Its FIGURE 1 – PRESENCE OF MnS + CaS IN VP20ISOF
hardness is in the range of 30-34 HRC (285-321 HB). The
hardness of the sample used in the present investigation was H10 carbide end milling tools, with 10% of cobalt, HY-
32.7 HRC. This steel has good polishability, texturing and is a PRO® series with 4 teeth, manufactured by OSG Sulamericana
variation of the common VP20ISO. The main difference Ltda, were used in the tests. Two different types of PVD
between them is the absence of nickel in the VP20ISOF what coatings by Oerlikon Balzers, ALCRONA® (Al-Cr-N) and the
results in lower production cost. Table 1 shows the chemical Future Top® (Ti-Al-N) were tested and their characteristics are
composition of the steel. described in Table 2.
The cylindrical tools have 10 mm of diameter, 70 mm of
TABLE 1 - CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF VP20ISOF total length, and 25 mm of cutting edges, as shown in Figure 2.
A total of 24 tools were tested, 12 of each coating.
C Mn Si Cr Mo P Al Ca Fe
TABLE 2 – COATING PROPERTIES
0.30 1.60 0.27 1.80 0.20 0.013 0.016 19 ppm Bal
Propriety AlCrN TiAlN
Microhardness
3200 3300
(HV 0.05)
The VP20ISOF steel was developed to have high Coefficient of
machinability without loss in its polishability, being produced friction against 0.35 0.25
with low sulfur and submitted to a treatment with calcium for steel
secondary refining and modification of oxide inclusions. Maximum
The steel treated with calcium provides an improved operating 1.100 900
machinability through a control of the morphology of hard temperature (°C)
inclusions like alumina and silicates and the formation of a Color Blue-gray Violet-gray
protective layer of oxide on the chip-tool interface during Commercial Name ALCRONA® FUTURA TOP®
machining, thus reducing tool wear at high cutting speeds.
The deoxidation with calcium does not alter the mechanical
properties or affect the thermal treatment response
(consequently its hardness, for example) [6].
In his research, Milan [7] noted that the protective layer
is formed in the chip-tool and workpiece-tool interfaces
during the machining process. Because of the high
temperatures developed there, the calcium oxides are soft on
the surface of the tool and allow reduction of wear. Calcium FIGURE 2 – END MILLING TOOLS
acts altering the oxide inclusions and usually these new
oxides (Al2O3 + CaO) are enveloped by manganese and/or The machining tests were carried out at the Laboratory for
calcium sulphides, so that they remain in the viscous state at Teaching and Research in Machining – LEPU of Federal
high temperatures with lower shearing strength [8]. University of Uberlandia, MG – Brazil using a Machining

2 Copyright © 2013 by ASME

Center Romi/Bridgeport Discovery 760, CNC Siemens 810, Labview® Software, release 2009. The surface roughness was
15kVA (max. spindle speed range of 10 to10,000 rpm). also measured every time the tests were stopped for tool wear
The end milling type chosen was the up milling with measurements, using a Mitutoyo SJ-201 roughness meter. The
constant cutting width (ae) of 1 mm, depth of cut (ap) of 10 results of force, torque and surface roughness, however, will
mm and feed rate of 0.015 mm/tooth. The tool overhanging not be presented in this paper but they can be accessed in [1].
length was 35 mm and the radial and longitudinal deviations
at the tool tip when rotating the tool was 6 µm and 9 µm, TABLE 4 – MACHINING TIME FOR EACH TEST
respectively.
Cutting Speed Average too lifetime
Average flank wear, VBB, according to ISO 8688-2 [9]
(vc) AlCrN TiAlN
was measured throughout the extension of the leading edge of
10 mm, corresponding to the depth of cut used. An Olympus 8h 45min 5h 50min
SZ61 optical microscope was used for this purpose. 80 m/min approx. 200 passes approx. 140 passes
The end of tool life criterion used was recommended by VBB = 0.2 mm VBB = 0.2mm
the tool manufacturer, VBB = 0.2 mm, value established to
ensure that the milling tool could be reground at least five 4h 40min 3h 20min
100 m/min 140 passes 100 passes
times without losing much of its final diameter, since the
regrind is performed in the radial direction of the tool. After
reaching their end of life, the tools were analyzed within a
Hitachi TM-3000 Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and
then sent back to the Regrinding Tool Centre of OSG
Sulamericana Ltda for resharpening and to Oerlikon Balzers
for recoating, and then returned to LEPU - UFU for new
machining tests.
The cutting speeds (vc = 80 m / min and vc = 100 m /
min) were determined after some pre-tests and based on
recommendation of the toll manufacturer’s catalogue [10].
These cutting speeds promote uniform wear on the tool as
shown in Figure 3, reducing the chance of chipping,
frequently observed when using lower cutting speeds (Figure
4). For the higher cutting speed of vc = 100 m / min, the end
of life criteria had to be changed due to increasing vibration
as the wear approaches the limit of VBB = 0.2 mm. A fixed
number of cutting passes was adopted instead. A pass means a
cutting length of 360 mm as illustrated in figure 5. Table 3
shows the end of tool life criteria adopted for each type of FIGURE 3 – END MILLING TOOL TiAlN COATED, vc= 100
test. Tools coated with AlCrN presented higher wear m/min, fz = 0.015 mm/tooth, FLANK WEAR VBB = 0.2 mm
resistance; therefore, the number of passes stipulated for them
is also higher.

TABLE 3 – END OF LIFE CRITERIA

vc vf fz
TEST End of life criteria
(m/min) (mm/min) (mm/tooth)
Type 1 80 153 0.015 VBB=0.2 mm
100 passes - TiAlN
Type 2 100 191 0.015
140 passes - AlCrN

All the tests were performed dry and interruptions for

tool wear measurements vary from 10 to 20 passes, depending
on the cutting condition and tool coating used. They are all
long time tests, as shown in Table 4. The time presented there
is the cutting time, calculated based on the feed velocity and
the total cutting length until the end of the tool life. Cutting
force and torque were measured throughout the tool life tests
using a Kistler 9123C rotating dynamometer, a Kistler 5223 FIGURE 4 – END MILLING TOOL TiAlN COATED, vc = 50
amplifier, a NI PCI-6251 data acquisition board and m/min, fz = 0.015 mm/tooth, FLANK WEAR VBB = 0.2 mm

3 Copyright © 2013 by ASME


FIGURE 5 - CUTTING LENGTH (PASS)
REGRINDING PROCESS
The regrinding process was performed at the Regrinding
Tool Centre of OSG Sulamericana Ltda. The process
reproduces the entire geometry of the tool through the same
machining process used when firstly manufacturing the tools,
using an abrasive wheel tool. Further information of the
process was not given by the manufacturer due to commercial
protective reasons. After reground, the tools were sent to
Oerlikon Balzers, where they received new coatings. The
coating can be made over the previous coating or removing
the old coating (by etching) and applying a new one. In the
present work the coating was applied without removing the
previous one. The process of PVD was applied maintaining
the coating thickness between 0.002 and 0.005 mm. Each
coating tool received a number varying from 1 to 12 to
identifying them.
Figures 6 and 7 show the diameter of the resharpened
tools used for tests with cutting speed of 80 m/min and 100
m/min, respectively.
FIGURE 6 - DIAMETER OF RESHARPENED TOOLS, vc=80
m/min
FIGURE 7 - DIAMETER OF RESHARPENED TOOLS, vc=100
m/min
RESULTS
Figures 8 and 9 shows the curves of wear against the
number of passes for the two cutting speed tested, respectively.
For the tools coated with TiAlN the wear rates of
resharpened tools were higher than when machining with the
new ones, under both cutting speeds tested. Statistic analysis,
however, with 95% of reliability did not confirmed this
difference, leveling both tools with the same performance.
Different results were observed with AlCrN coated tools. The
resharpened tools outperformed the new ones under the two
cutting speed tested. However, the differences were not
statistically significant, with 95% of reliability.
The tools coated with TiAlN showed higher rates of flank
wear than AlCrN. An explanation for these results was
attributed to a worse adhesion onto the substrate of the former
coatings when indentation tests were performed on both tools
[11]. The slightly higher hardness of this coating (see Table 2)
indicates the probable lower toughness of them, and when they
are used in interrupted cuttings this will make significant
difference, because of the mechanical and thermal stresses as
well as the chemical conditions imposed during milling [11].
FIGURE 8 - AVERAGE FLANK WEAR (vc = 80m/min)
FIGURE 9 - AVERAGE FLANK WEAR (vc = 100m/min)
4 Copyright © 2013 by ASME
 Another important characteristic of the AlCrN coating
that also helps to explain its better performance is its capacity
of working under higher temperatures than TiAlN (1100ºC
against 900ºC, see Table 2). The high hardness of the work
material combined with the cutting conditions tested generate
high amount of heat and high temperatures in the cutting
region, and the better property of the AlCrN coatings put
them ahead of the TiAlN coated tools [11].
To analyze the behavior of the tools with statistic
reliability a 23 factorial design was used. The three factors and
their two levels are presented in Table 5. Statistic analysis of
the results was performed, considering the flank wear of both
tool coatings at their 100th passes, to guarantee consistence.
The Pareto’s chart of Figure 10 shows that the coating was the
only factor that had significant influence on the tool life with
95% of reliability, what confirms the better coating
performance of AlCrN during these tests in relation to TiAlN.
FIGURE 11 – TREND CHART OF CUTTING SPEED

TABLE 5 - FACTORS AND LEVELS

Levels
Factors
-1 1
Cutting Speed 80m/min 100m/min
Tool condition New Resharpened
Coating AlCrN TiAlN

Figures 11 to 13 show the tendency of the tool wear when

changing the factors from level -1 to +1. When increasing the
cutting speed from 80 to 100 m/min an increase of the wear is
observed (Figure 11). When changing the coating from
AlCrN to TiAlN the wear of the tool increased (Figure 12).
Finally when changing the state of the tool from new to
resharpened Figure 13 shows that the wear of the tools are
practically the same, with a slight tendency of the wear to be
FIGURE 12 – TREND CHART OF COATING
higher for the resharpened tools.

FIGURE 10 – PARETO CHART FIGURE 13 – TREND CHART OF REGROUND

5 Copyright © 2013 by ASME

 Figure 14 shows a SEM photo of the flank wear of the
tool coated with TiAlN used in the test with the lower cutting
speed of 80 m/min. The rough characteristic of the worn area
(asperities) and the scattered lands of work material adhered
there are typical of adhesive wear mechanism (attrition).
The wear land of the tool coated with AlCrN used under
the smaller cutting speed of 80 m/min, illustrated in Figure
15, also presents the characteristic of the adhesive wear
mechanism (attrition). There is plenty of workpiece materials
adhered in the worn surface of the tool and the rough
characteristics are present on there.
The higher magnification of the area at the end of the
depth of cut of Figure 15b shows small chippings that may
have originated by a combination of mechanical and thermal a)
loads. These tool damages are typical when machining steels
with cemented carbide tools under the cutting conditions used
[3, 12].
When machining under the higher cutting speed of 100
m/min with the tool coated with TiAlN an irregular flank
wear pattern was seen (Figure 16). The wear pattern of the
tool coated with AlCrN under the same cutting speed is also
not regular (Figure 17), but much more than the TiAlN coated
tool of Figure 16.
Adhered work material and rough characteristic of the
worn area are seen on the irregular flank wear of the TiAlN
coated tools in Figure 16. This is evidence of adhesive wear
mechanism (attrition). However, ridges perpendicular to the
cutting edge are also observed in different parts of the worn
area, what means that abrasive wear are also taking part there.
In Figure 17 it is observed many workpiece material
adhered on the AlCrN coated tool and a rough aspect of the b)
worn area. Again, both are evidence of adhesive wear
mechanism (attrition). Small chippings at the cutting edges of
both coated tools of Figures 16 and 17 are also present. With FIGURE 15 – FLANK WEAR OF AlCrN COATED TOOL
the development of the cut these chipped areas start to (vc= 80m/min)
develop different mechanism of wear, attrition for instance.

FIGURE 14 – FLANK WEAR OF TiAlN COATED TOOL FIGURE 16 – FLANK WEAR OF TiAlN COATED TOOL
(vc= 80m/min) (vc= 100m/min)

6 Copyright © 2013 by ASME


FIGURE 17 – FLANK WEAR OF AlCrN COATED TOOL
(vc= 100m/min)
CONCLUSION
The average flank wear (VBB) followed the tendency of
increasing with increasing time of cutting. The average flank
wear, VBB, of the resharpened tool coated with TiAlN was
higher than the new tool.
The resharpened AlCrN coated tools outperformed the
new tools under both cutting speed investigated in this work.
However, statistic analysis with 95% of reliability did not
show significant difference between the performance of a new
tool and a reground tool.
The tool life was always higher in the AlCrN coated than
in TiAlN coated tools. The flank wear rates of TiAlN coated
tools were higher than their counterpart.
The predominant wear mechanism of both coated tools
(TiAlN and AlCrN) at the lower cutting speed (80m/min)
adhesive wear (attrition).
At the higher cutting speed (100m/min) the tools showed
a irregular flank wear, especially those coated with TiAlN. In
these tools the predominant wear mechanisms were adhesion
(attrition) and abrasion. In the AlCrN coated tool the
predominant wear mechanism was adhesion (attrition).
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work is financially supported by CAPES,
FAPEMIG and CNPq.
The authors are grateful to OSG Sulamericana de
Ferramentas Ltda, Oerlikon Balzers and Villares Metals for
providing the tools, the coatings and the work material,
respectively.
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7 Copyright © 2013 by ASME
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8 Copyright © 2013 by ASME