Comparative Evaluation of Performances of TiAlN-, AlCrN- and AlCrN/TiAlN-Coated Carbide Cutting Tools and Uncoated Carbide Cutting Tools on Turning EN24 Alloy Steel

In the present work, the performances of TiAlN-, AlCrN- and AlCrN/TiAlN-coated and uncoated tungsten carbide cutting tool inserts are evaluated from the turning studies conducted on EN24 alloy steel workpiece. The output parameters such as cutting forces, surface roughness and tool wear for TiAlN-, AlCrN- and AlCrN/TiAlN-coated carbide cutting tools are compared with uncoated carbide cutting tools (K10). The design of experiment based on Taguchi's approach is used to obtain the best turning parameters, namely cutting speed (V), feed rate (f) and depth of cut (d), in order to have a better surface finish and minimum tool flank wear. An orthogonal array (L-9) was used to conduct the experiments. The results show that the AlCrN/TiAlN-coated cutting tool provided a much better surface finish and minimum tool flank wear. The minimum tool flank wear and minimum surface roughness were obtained using AlCrN/TiAlN-coated tools, when V = 160 m/min, f = 0.318 mm/rev and d = 0.3 mm.