Performance of carbide tools with textured rake-face filled with solid lubricants in dry cutting processes

Surface texturing with different geometrical characteristics was made on the rake face of the WC/Co carbide tools, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) solid lubricants were filled into the textured rake-face. Dry cutting tests were carried out with these rake-face textured tools and a conventional tool. The effect of the texture shape on the cutting performance of these rake-face textured tools was investigated. Results show that the cutting forces, cutting temperature, and the friction coefficient at the tool-chip interface of the rake-face textured tools were significantly reduced compared with that of the conventional one. The rake-face textured tool with elliptical grooves on its rake face had the most improved cutting performance. Two mechanisms responsible were found, the first one is explained as the formation of a lubricating film with low shear strength at the tool-chip interface, which was released from the texturing and smeared on the rake face, and served as lubricating additive during dry cutting processes; the other one was explained by the reduced contact length at the tool-chip interface of the rake-face textured tools, which contributes to the decrease of the direct contact area between the chip and rake face. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.