PowerPoint to accompany

Technology of Machine Tools

6th Edition

Krar • Gill • Smid

Diamond, Ceramic, and

Cermet Cutting Tools

Unit 32

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 32-2

Objectives

• Explain the purpose and application of

diamond cutting tools
• State the uses of two types of ceramic tools
• Describe the types and application of
cermet tools
 32-3

Diamond Cutting Tools

• Diamond hardest known material
• Two types of diamonds used in industry
– Natural (or mined)
• Once widely used for machining nonmetallic and
nonferrous materials
• Being replaced by manufactured diamonds
– Manufactured
• Superior in performance in most cases
• Used to machine hard-to-finish materials
 32-4

Manufactured Diamonds
• 1954, General Electric Company produced
manufactured diamonds in laboratory
• 1957, GE began commercial production
• First success: carbon and iron sulfide in a
granite tube closed with tantalum disks
were subjected to pressure 1.5 million psi
and temps of 2550º and 4260º
– Other metal catalysts and temps high enough to
melt metal saturated with carbon to start growth
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 32-5

"Belt"
Furnace
 32-6

Manufactured Diamonds
• Possible to produce diamonds of size, shape,
and crystal structure suited to needs
– Can vary temperature, pressure, and
catalyst-solvent
• Types of manufactured diamonds
– RVG Diamond
– MBG-II Diamond
– MBS Diamond
 32-7

Type RVG Diamond

• Elongated, friable crystal with rough edges
• Used with resinoid or vitrified bond for
grinding ultrahard materials
– Tungsten carbide
– Silicon carbide
– Space-age alloys
• Used for wet and dry grinding
 32-8

Type MBG-II Diamond

• Tough, blocky-shaped crystal
• Used in metal-bonded grinding (MBG)
wheels
• Used for grinding cemented carbides,
sapphires, ceramics, and electrolytic
grinding
 32-9

Type MBS Diamond

• Blocky, extremely tough crystal with
smooth, regular surface
• Used in metal-bonded saws (MBS) to cut
concrete, marble, tile, granite, stone, and
masonry
• May be coated with nickel or copper to
provide better holding surface in bond
 32-10

Advantages of Diamond
Cutting Tools
1. Can be operated at high cutting speeds, and
production increased to 10 to 15 times that
of other cutting tools
2. Surface finishes of 5 min. (0.127 mm) or
less can be obtained easily
3. Very hard and resist abrasion
 32-11

Advantages of Diamond
Cutting Tools
4. Closer tolerance work can be produced
5. Minute cuts, as low as .0005 in. (0.012
mm) deep, can be taken from the inside or
outside diameter
6. Metallic particles do not build up (weld)
on cutting edge.
 32-12

Use of Diamond Cutting Tools

• Metallic Materials
– Light metals, such as aluminum, duraluminum, and
magnesium alloys
Increase
– Soft metals, such asproduction 10-15
copper, brass, andtimes
zinc that
alloys
of any other cutting tool!
– Bearing metals, such as bronze and babbitt
– Precious metals, such as silver, gold, and platinum
• Nonmetallic Materials
– hard and soft rubber
Increase production 20-50 times that
– all types of cemented carbides, plastics, carbon, graphite,
and ceramics. of carbide tools!
 32-13

Cutting Speeds and Feeds

• Diamond-tipped cutting tools operate most
efficiently with shallow cuts at high cutting
speeds and fine feeds
– Not recommended for materials where heat
generated exceeds 1400ºF
• Ideal cutting speed for each type of
material-machine combination
– Min cutting speed 250 to 300 sf/min
 32-14

Diamond Cutting-Tool Data

Cutting Speed Feed (per Rev.) Depth of Cut
Material ft/min in. in.
Metallic (nonferrous) 250–10,000 .0008–.004 .0005–.024
Nonmetallic 250–3300 .0008–.024 .0008–.060

Table 32.1 from Text – Metric included in text.

 32-15

Hints on the Use of

Diamond Tools
1. Diamond-tipped points designed with
maximum included point angle and radius
for added strength
2. Always handle with care – cutting edges
should never be checked with micrometer
3. Stored in separate containers, with rubber
protectors over tips
 32-16

4. Machine tool should be as free of vibration

as possible
5. Use very rigid setup with diamond tip set
exactly on center
6. Work should be roughed out with carbide
tool
7. Diamond tools should always be fed into
work while work revolving – never stop
machine during cut
8. Interrupted cuts will shorten tool life
 32-17

Diamond-tipped Cutting Tool

Angles and Clearances

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 32-18

Ceramic Cutting Tools

• First cutting-tool inserts on market in 1956
– Inconsistent: improper use and lack of knowledge
• Uniformity and quality greatly improved
• Widely accepted by industry
• Used in machining of hard ferrous materials
and cast iron
• Gain: lower costs, increased productivity
• Operate 3 to 4 times speed of carbide toolbits
 32-19

Manufacture of Ceramic Tools

• Primarily from aluminum oxide
– Bauxite chemically processed and converted
into denser, crystalline form (alpha alumina)
• Micro sized grains obtained from precipitation of
alumina or decomposed alumina compound
• Produced by either cold or hot pressing
• Finished with diamond-impregnated
grinding wheels
 32-20

Manufacturing Process
• Cold Pressing
– Fine alumina powder compressed into required
form
– Sintered in furnace at 2912º F to 3092ºF
• Hot Pressing
– Combines forming and sintering with pressure
and heat being applied simultaneously
• Titanium oxide or magnesium oxide added
for certain types to aid in sintering and
retard growth
 32-21

Ceramic Inserts
• Stronger inserts developed
– Aluminum oxide and zirconium oxide mixed in
powder form, cold-pressed into shape and
sintered
• Highest hot-hardness strength and gives
excellent surface finish
• Used where no interrupted cuts and with
negative rakes
• No coolant required
 32-22

Indexable Insert
• Most common
• Fastened in mechanical holder
• Available in many styles: square, round,
triangular, rectangular
• When cutting edge
becomes dull, sharp
edge can be obtained by
indexing (turning) insert
in the holder
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 32-23

Cemented Ceramic Tools

• Most economical
– Especially if tool shape must be altered from
standard shape
• Bonded to steel shank with epoxy glue
– Eliminates strains caused by clamping inserts in
mechanical holders
 32-24

Ceramic Tool Applications

• Intended to supplement rather than replace
carbide tools
• Extremely valuable for specific applications
• Must be carefully selected and used
• Can be used to replace carbide tools that
wear rapidly
– Never replace carbide tools that are breaking
 32-25

Ceramics Usage
1. High-speed, single-point turning, boring,
and facing operations with continuous
cutting
2. Finishing operations on ferrous and
nonferrous materials
3. Light, interrupted finishing cuts on steel
or cast iron
 32-26

Ceramics Usage
4. Machining castings when other tools
break down because of abrasive action of
sand, inclusions or hard scale
5. Cutting hard steels up to hardness of
Rockwell c 66
6. Any operation in which size and finish of
part must be controlled and previous tools
not satisfactory
 32-27

Factors for Optimum Results From

Ceramic Cutting Tools

1. Accurate and rigid machine tools essential

2. Machine tool equipped with ample power
and capable of maintaining high speeds
3. Tool mounting and toolholder rigidity
important as machine rigidity
4. Overhand of toolholder kept to minimum:
no more than 1 ½ times shank thickness
 32-28

5. Negative rake inserts give best results

• Less force applied directly to ceramic tip
6. Large nose radius and large side cutting
edge angle on ceramic insert reduces its
tendency to chip
7. Cutting fluids generally not required, if
required, use continuous and copious flow
8. As cutting speed or hardness increases,
check ratio of feed to depth of cut
9. Best to use toolholders with fixed or
adjustable chipbreakers
 32-29

Advantages of Ceramic Tools

• Machining time reduced due to higher cutting
speeds
• Increased productivity because heavy depths of
cut can be made at high surface speeds
• Lasts from 3 to 10 times longer than plain carbide
tool and exceed the life of coated carbide tools
• More accurate size control of workpiece
 32-30

Advantages of Ceramic Tools

• Retain their strength and hardness at high
machining temperatures [in excess of 2000°F]
• Withstand abrasion of sand inclusions
• Better surface finish
• Heat-treated materials as hard as Rockwell c 66
can be readily machined
 32-31

Disadvantages of Ceramic Tools

• Brittle and therefore tend to chip easily
• Satisfactory for interrupted cuts only under
ideal conditions
• Initial cost of ceramics higher than carbides.
• Require more rigid machine than is necessary
for other cutting tools
• Considerably more power and higher cutting
speeds required for ceramics to cut efficiently
 32-32

Ceramic Tool Geometry

• Material to be machined
• Operation performed
• Condition of machine
• Rigidity of work setup
• Rigidity of toolholding device
 32-33

Rake Angles
• Negative rake angles preferred (2º to 30º)
– Allows chock of cutting force to be absorbed
behind tip, protecting cutting edge
• Ceramic tools brittle
– Used for machining ferrous and nonferrous
metals
• Positive rake angles used for nonmetals
 32-34

Clearance
• Side
– Desirable for ceramic cutting tools
– Angle must not be too great
• Cutting edge weakened and tend to chip
• Front
– Angle should be only large enough to prevent
tool from rubbing on workpiece
• Angle too great – susceptible to chipping
 32-35

End Cutting Edge Angle

• Governs strength of tool and area of contact
between work and end of cutting tool
• Properly designed, remove crests resulting
from feed lines and improve surface finish

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 32-36

Nose Radius
• Two functions:
– Strengthen weakest part of tool
– Improve surface finish of workpiece
• Should be as large as possible without
producing chatter or vibration
 32-37

Cutting Edge Chamfer

• Small chamfer (radius) on cutting edge
recommended especially on heavy cuts and
hard materials
– Strengthens and protects cutting edge
• Use .002- to .008-in. radius for machining
steel
• Use .030- to .060-in. radius for heavy
roughing cuts and hard materials
 32-38

Cutting Speeds
• Use highest cutting speed possible that
gives reasonable tool life
• Two to ten times higher than other cutting
tools
• Less heat generated due to lower
coefficient of friction between chip, work,
and tool surface
– Most of heat generated escapes with chip
 32-39

Ceramic Tool Problems

• Tool should be large enough for job
– Cannot be too large but easily be too small
• Style (tool geometry) should be right for
type of operation and material
• Table 32.4 in text lists tool problems and
their possible causes
 32-40

Grinding Ceramic Tools

• Grinding not recommended
• May be resharpened with proper care
– Resinoid-bonded, diamond-impregnated
wheels recommended
– Coarse-grit wheel for rough grinding
– 220-grit for finish grinding
• Hone or lap cutting edge after grinding to
remove any notches
 32-41

Cermet Cutting Tools

• Developed about 1960
• Made of various ceramic and metallic
combinations
• Two types
– Titanium carbide (TiC)-based materials
– Titanium nitride (TiN)-based materials
• Cost-effective replacement for carbide and
ceramic toolbits
– Not used with hardened ferrous metals or
nonferrous metals
 32-42

Characteristics of Cermet Tools

• Great wear resistance (permit higher cutting
speeds than carbide tools)
• Edge buildup and cratering minimal
• High hot-hardness qualities
– Greater than carbide but less than ceramic
• Lower thermal conductivity than carbide
because heat goes into chip
• Fracture toughness greater for ceramic but
less for carbide tools
 32-43

Cermet Tool Advantages

• Surface finish better than carbides under same
conditions – often eliminates finish grinding
• High wear resistance permits close tolerances for
extended periods
• Cutting speeds higher than carbides (same tool life)
• Tool life longer than carbine tools (same cutting
speed)
• Cost per insert less than coated carbide inserts
and equal to plain carbide inserts
 32-44

Use of Cermet Tools

• Titanium carbide cermets hardest
– Used to fill gap between tough tungsten carbide
inserts and hard, brittle ceramic tools
– Used for machining steels and cast irons
• Titanium carbide-titanium nitride inserts
used for semifinish and finish machining of
harder cast irons and steels (less than 45 Rc)