Cutting Tools

Cutting method has been widely used as precession machining operation. Significant increases in manufacturing productivity can be achieved by increasing metal-removal rate. However, when cutting hard or abrasive materials at high speed, productivity is severely limited by cutting-tool edge wear. The rate-determining factor in the chip-making process has been the cutting-tool material itself. Machine tools and procedures have always been designed around the maximum capabilities of new tool materials as they were developed. The chapter discusses the fundamentals of tool development. The ability to control microstructure in tool materials to maximize those physical and mechanical properties is responsible for optimum machining performance. All kinds of ceramic tool are graphically illustrated. Generally, alumina is suitable for steel cutting, while silicon nitride shows superior performance for cutting of cast irons. The applications of the cBN and diamond tools are limited to hard steels and non-ferrous alloys, and non-ferrous mild metals and alloys, respectively.