Edge micro-creation of Ti(C, N) cermet inserts by micro-abrasive blasting process and its tool performance

In this study, the cutting edge passivation by a micro-abrasive blasting method for cermet inserts and its machining performance were investigated. The micro-abrasive blasting parameters for cermet inserts were optimized and the micro-creation of cutting edge was determined with detail. A Back Propagation (BP) neural network prediction model was further established based on our micro-abrasive blasting experiment datum, which can directly evaluate the micro-abrasive blasting ability to generate the specific edge radius. The improvement of cutting performance of micro-abrasive blasted cermet inserts benefits from the strengthening of cutting edge that caused by the obvious elimination of a large number of micro-defects rooted around the edge, and the formation of circular cutting edge is the result of brittle removal and plastic removal. The micro-creation of inserts can acquire a circular cutting edge, and the optimal edge radius is 15 mu m under the selected cutting conditions when the tool life was chosen as an optimization target and the surface roughness was simultaneously taken into account. It is found that the blasted cermet inserts can prolong the tool life by at least 86% and the machined-surface quality can be improved by up to 1.65 mu m, compared to inserts without micro-abrasive blasting.