Effect of symmetrical conical micro-grooved texture on tool-chip friction property of WC-TiC/Co cemented carbide tools

Surface texturing has been an attracting interest in metal cutting fields because of their tribological improvement at the tool-chip interface. A novel symmetric conical micro-grooved texture (S-5) was proposed and manufactured on the tool rake face using laser texture technology. The improvement effect of surface texturing (S-5) on tool-chip friction property was tested with AISI 1045 steel cutting experiment for various cutting speeds (80 to 160 m/min) under flood lubrication condition. Meanwhile, cutting performance of S-5 were evaluated against parallel micro-grooved texture tools (P-0) for a better clarification of the interaction mechanism. Experimental results indicated that surface texturing (P-0, S-5) on tool rake face all successfully resulted in a reduced cutting force, tool-chip friction coefficient, and tool surface wear than conventional tools (C-0). Moreover, S-5 showed a more obvious advantage in the improvement of tool-chip interfacial friction property than P-0.When cutting speed was smaller than 120 m/min, the friction coefficient obtained with the conventional (C-0) and textured tools (P-0, S-5) all showed a downward trend, and a smallest friction coefficient was appeared for S-5. When the cutting speed was greater than 120m/min, an upward trend of friction coefficient was obtained for the C-0 and P-0 tools. However, a downward trend of friction coefficient was still existed for S-5. Detailed research indicated that the symmetric conical micro-grooved texture on the tool rake face could accelerate the infiltration speed of cutting fluid at the tool-chip interface. More cutting fluid would be supplied and stored at the tool-chip interface. So, symmetric conical micro-grooved texture on the tool rake face had a best lubrication effect of cutting fluid than conventional (C-0) and parallel micro-grooved texture tools (P-0).