Cutting behavior of a TiN-coated carbide drill with curved cutting edges during the high-speed machining of stainless steel

Stainless steel plates were drilled in high-speed machining to investigate the effect of tool life, surface roughness, tool wear and burr formation. Drilling was done using a TiN-coated carbide tool with curved cutting edges. The cutting speed V = 75 m/min is optimum for minimum surface roughness and burr height. The surface roughness produced was less than I gm. Four distinct kinds of buff were observed, namely, burr without any attachment, burr with a drill cap, flange burr and buff with a sharp remnant. The chipping of the helical flutes and the outer corner wear were the main causes of drill failure. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.