Roughing, semi-finishing and finishing of laser surface modified nickel bonded NbC and WC inserts for grey cast iron (GCI) face-milling

An attempt to improve the machining performance of NbC-Ni cutting inserts by rapid pulse electric current sintering (PECS), TiC and Mo2C additions and laser surface modification (LSM) was done. Use of a nickel binder and additions TiC and Mo2C to liquid phase sintered (LPS) NbC based samples led to comparable hardness (> 13 GPa) and K-IC (-10 MPa.m(1/2)) to LPS WC-Co/Ni samples. The laser surface modification (LSM) technique produced a similar to 2.5 mu m thick self-carbide coating, increasing the surface hardness of all the samples. Laser surface modification was done to improve abrasion and attrition wear resistance. Face-milling of grade 17 grey cast iron (BS 1452/GG35) was conducted at 100-500 m/min cutting speeds (v(c)) and 0.25-1.5 mm depths of cut (a(p)). The insert wear was measured after every pass, and analyzed by annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (ADF-STEM). During roughing, WC-Co based inserts had the lowest flank wear rate (FWR) values, with the WC-10Co (LPS) insert having a FWR of 10.15 mu m/min after 20 min cutting time. However, during semi-finishing and finishing, NbC-4TiC-12Ni (PECS) and NbC-4Mo(2)C-4TiC-12Ni (PECS) inserts had the lowest FWR values, showing up to six times longer tool life than the WC-Co (LPS) inserts based inserts and 12 times longer life than the WC-Ni based inserts. Generally, LSM improved the NbC inserts' tool life, reducing the FWR values in all NbC based inserts in all cutting tests.