Experimental Study on Wear of Indexable Coated Blades as Applied to Cutting of PCrNi3MoVA Gun Steel Workpieces

Abstract

In this paper, based on the theoretical study of tool wear and the systematic analysis of the main factors affecting the tool durability, four types of PVD and CVD-coated blades from three manufacturers were subjected to cutting tests using PCrNi3MoVA gun steel workpieces. The wear morphology, fatigue curves, and chip patterns of the tested blades were comparatively analyzed. The influence of the coating type on the tool durability was investigated using a scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The results obtained strongly indicate that TiAlN coating deposited by the PVD technology has the best thermal stability, temperature oxidation resistance, and tool durability when cutting PCrNi3MoVA gun steel workpieces under semi-finishing conditions. The wear resistance of the other three types of blades was relatively lower due to less favorable coating compositions and structures. The study findings are instrumental in the substantiated selection of cutters for practical applications and provide a reference for the design optimization of indexable coated inserts.