Finite Element Analysis and Study of Tool Wear in Machining With Coated Tools

Accurately predicting the tool wear in any machining process play an important role in enhancing the manufacturing process performance. In all machining operations, cutting tool wear is strongly influenced by contact temperatures, stresses, and relative sliding velocity at the machining interface. Based on cutting temperatures and stresses on the tool face predicted by the finite element simulations, tool wear can be estimated. This paper features a specific study of the application of solid lubricant coatings in machining operations and presents its influence on tool-workpiece contact temperature and tool wear resistance. In the present work, finite element modeling approach concerning orthogonal cutting was carried out in order to understand the machining process performance in terms of tool wear during turning of selected workmaterial with and without solid lubricant (molybdenum disulphide, MoS2) coated tools produced by electrostatic micro-solid lubricant coating technique. Finite element code, DEFORM-3D is utilized to predict the tool wear during machining of workmaterial under two machining environments. The results under similar tested machining conditions show that flank wear resistance was improved remarkably during machining with MoS2 coated tools when compared to machining with uncoated tools. This could be mainly due to the presence of MoS2 film on tool face, which can reduce the cutting temperatures effectively owing to its excellent lubricity action and result in lower specific cutting energy given into the contact. For experimental validation, series of turning tests were carried out under selected conditions. It has been observed from the simulation studies that the tool wear results are in reasonable agreement with the experimental results.