Methods of cutting for workpieces of hardmetal and cBN-based polycrystalline superhard material

The paper gives the results of investigation waterjet cutting, gas-purged laser cutting, liquid-cooled laser cutting, and laser-jet cutting of hardmetal and cBN-based polycrystalline superhard material. It has been shown that the waterjet cutting gives rise to almost no thermal-destruction layer on the machined surface; in laser cutting a defective layer as thick as 0.8 mm is formed, which can be reduced to 0.10-0.55 mm by water cooling, while increasing the depth of cut by 50-70%. The laser-jet cutting ensures the minimum width of cut, the size of the thermal destruction zone no more than 0.06 mm, and a surface roughness no worse than Ra = 3.2-6.3 A mu m.