Micro textured cutting tool effects on cutting forces, volumetric wear and adhesion in dry turning of titanium alloy

There are several distinct advantages offered by micro-textures applied to cutting tool surfaces to reduce forces, friction, and wear. This study provides investigations on micro-grooves fabricated on the rake face of tungsten carbide inserts (WC/Co) that were used in turning titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V under dry conditions. Tool inserts included varying micro-groove width (50~100 μm), depth (10~30 μm) and spacing (15~100 μm). In the experiments, a constant depth of cut and a cutting speed were used. The effect of micro-textured tool surfaces on cutting force and tool wear was found to be significant.