Treatment of a cemented carbide cutting tool using plasma discharges

The paper deals with a novel method for the edge preparation of cutting tools using an advanced approach. Cemented carbide cutting inserts were used as a sample in the experiment, and were prepared using plasma discharges in electrolyte. This technique is an environmentally-friendlier method in contrast to electropolishing treatment. The experiment aimed to determine the influence of process parameters of plasma treatment on the material removal rate and cutting edge radius size. In the experiment, concentration of electrolyte, voltage between electrodes, temperature of electrolyte, and operating time were varied. The material removal rate and cutting edge radius size increased faster with the decreasing concentration of electrolyte, decreasing voltage, and decreasing temperature of electrolyte. The material removal percentage increase was 155 percent, and 57 percent for cutting edge radius size during the 10 seconds of operation time in the specified range of process parameters. This change can be achieved by setting various process parameters. The results of the experiment proved that plasma treatment can control the forming of cutting edge radii. Cutting edge preparation using plasma discharges in electrolyte takes only a few seconds, depending on the cutting edge radius sizes.