Tool wear in turning ceramic reinforced aluminum matrix composites-A review

Cutting tool wear during turning of ceramic reinforced aluminum matrix composites was reviewed. Though tools of different materials, such as tungsten carbide, coated tungsten carbide, ceramics, cubic boron nitride, polycrystalline cubic boron nitride, chemical vapor deposition diamond coated tungsten carbide, and polycrystalline diamond were used for turning the aluminum matrix composites, better performance of polycrystalline diamond tools was observed in terms of tool life. The results obtained by many researchers indicated that dominant tool wear mechanism was abrasion, and tool life was mainly affected by flank wear during turning of these composites. The flank wear increased on increasing particulate size or weight fraction of reinforcement. Flank wear of the cutting tool also increased with increasing cutting speed, feed, and depth of cut; however, cutting speed was the most significant parameter affecting flank wear, followed by feed. Influence of depth of cut on flank wear was limited or insignificant.