AISI D6 (hardness 65 HRC) is one of the hard-to-cut steel alloys and commonly used in mould and die making industries. In general, CBN and PCBN tools are used for machining hardened steel but its higher cost makes the use for limited applications. However, the usefulness of carbide tool with selective coatings is the best substitute having comparable tool life, and in terms of cost is approximately one-tenth of CBN tool. The present study highlights a detailed analysis on machinability investigation of hardened AISI D6 alloy die steel using newly developed SPPP-AlTiSiN coated carbide tools in finish dry turning operation. In addition, a comparative assessment has been performed based on the effectiveness of cutting tool performance of nanocomposite coating of AlTiN deposited by hyperlox PVD technique and a coating of AlTiSiN deposited by scalable pulsed power plasma (SPPP) technique. The required number of machining trials under varied cutting conditions (speed, depth of cut, feed) were based on L16 orthogonal array design which investigated the crater wear, flank wear, surface roughness, chip morphology, and cutting force in hard turning. Out of the two cutting tools, newly-developed nanocomposite (SPPP-AlTiSiN) coated carbide tool promises an improved surface finish, minimum cutting force, longer tool life due to lower value of crater & flank wears, and considerable improvement in tool life (i.e., by 47.83%). At higher cutting speeds, the crater wear length and flank wear increases whereas the surface roughness, crater wear width and cutting force decreases. Chip morphology confirmed the formation of serrated type saw tooth chips.
SureshRBasavarajappaSGaitondeVN, et al. State-of-the-art research in machinability of hardened steels. Proc IMechE, Part B: J Engineering Manufacture2013; 227: 191–209.
2.
DashLPadhanSDasSR.Experimental investigations on surface integrity and chip morphology in hard tuning of AISI D3 steel under sustainable nanofluid-based minimum quantity lubrication. J Braz Soc Mech Sci Eng2020; 42: 1–25.
3.
ChinchanikarSChoudhurySK.Machining of hardened steel – experimental investigations, performance modeling and cooling techniques: a review. Int J Mach Tools Manuf2015; 89: 95–109.
4.
LiewPJShaaroniASidikNAC, et al. An overview of current status of cutting fluids and cooling techniques of turning hard steel. Int J Heat Mass Transfer2017; 114: 380–394.
5.
GrzesikW. Machining of hard materials. In: J. Paulo Davim (ed) Machining. London: Springer, 2008, pp.97–126.
6.
AstakhovVP. Machining of hard materials – definitions and industrial applications. In: J. Paulo Davim (ed), Machining of hard materials. London: Springer, 2011, pp.1–32.
7.
MondalKDasSMandalB, et al. An investigation on turning hardened steel using different tool inserts. Mater Manuf Process2016; 31: 1770–1781.
8.
MondalKDasS.An investigation on machinability during turning hardened steel in dry condition. J Inst Eng India Ser C2018; 99: 637–644.
9.
AurichJCEyrischTZimmermannM.Effect of the coating system on the tool performance when turning heat treated Aisi 4140. Proc CIRP2012; 1: 214–219.
10.
SelvamMDSenthilP.Investigation on the effect of turning operation on surface roughness of hardened C45 carbon steel. Austr J Mech Eng2016; 14: 131–137.
11.
SenthilkumarNSelvakumarVTamizharasanT.Optimization and performance analysis of uncoated and coated carbide inserts during hard turning AISI D2 steel using hybrid GRA-PCA technique. Amm2016; 852: 151–159.
12.
GintingASkeinRCuacaD, et al. The characteristics of CVD- and PVD-coated carbide tools in hard turning of AISI 4340. Measurement2018; 129: 548–557.
13.
ChinchanikarSChoudhurySK.Wear behaviors of single-layer and multi-layer coated carbide inserts in high speed machining of hardened AISI 4340 steel. J Mech Sci Technol2013; 27: 1451–1459.
14.
WangXHuangCZouB, et al. A new method to evaluate the machinability of difficult-to-cut materials. Int J Adv Manuf Technol2014; 75: 91–96.
15.
DenkenaBKöhlerJBreidensteinB, et al. Influence of the cutting edge preparation method on characteristics and performance of PVD coated carbide inserts in hard turning. Surf Coat Technol2014; 254: 447–454.
16.
BoingDde OliveiraAJSchroeterRB.Evaluation of wear mechanisms of PVD and CVD coatings deposited on cemented carbide substrates applied to hard turning. Int J Adv Manuf Technol2020; 106: 5441–5451.
17.
ZhaoJLiuZ.Influences of coating thickness on cutting temperature for dry hard turning Inconel 718 with PVD TiAlN coated carbide tools in initial tool wear stage. J Manuf Process2020; 56: 1155–1165.
18.
AlokADasM.Cost-effective way of hard turning with newly developed HSN2-coated tool. Mater Manuf Process2018; 33: 1003–1010.
19.
KumarCSPatelSK.Effect of chip sliding velocity and temperature on the wear behaviour of PVD AlCrN and AlTiN coated mixed alumina cutting tools during turning of hardened steel. Surf Coat Technol2018; 334: 509–525.
20.
PanLWuZFangL, et al. Investigation of surface damage and roughness for nickel-based superalloy GH4169 under hard turning processing. Proc IMechE, Part B: J Engineering Manufacture2020; 234: 679–691.
21.
ParsiPKKothaRSRouthuT, et al. Machinability evaluation of coated carbide inserts in turning of super-duplex stainless steel. SN Appl Sci2020; 2: 1933.
22.
Sampath Kumar T, RamanujamRVigneshM, et al. Comparative evaluation of performances of TiAlN, AlCrN, TiAlN/AlCrN coated carbide cutting tools and uncoated carbide cutting tools on turning Inconel 825 alloy using grey relational analysis. Sensors Actuators A: Physical 2018; 279: 331–342.
23.
Herbert BejaxhinBPaulrajAJayaprakashG, et al. Measurement of roughness on hardened D-3 steel and wear of coated tool inserts. Trans Inst Measure Control2021; 43: 528–536.
24.
SaikaewCPaengchitPWisitsoraatA.Machining performances of TiN+AlCrN coated WC and Al2O3+TiC inserts for turning of AISI 4140 steel under dry condition. J Manuf Process2020; 50: 412–420.
25.
ZhengGLiLLiZ, et al. Wear mechanisms of coated tools in high-speed hard turning of high strength steel. Int J Adv Manuf Technol2018; 94: 4553–4563.
26.
SharmaNGuptaK.Influence of coated and uncoated carbide tools on tool wear and surface quality during dry machining of stainless steel 304. Mater Res Expr2019; 6: 086585.
27.
Asiltürk İ and AkkuşH.Determining the effect of cutting parameters on surface roughness in hard turning using the Taguchi method. Measurement2011; 44: 1697–1704.
28.
UlasHB.Experimental determination of cutting forces and surface roughness when turning 50CrV4 steel (SAE 6150) and modelling with the artificial neural network approach. Trans Indian Inst Met2014; 67: 869–879.
29.
SureshRBasavarajappaSGaitondeVN, et al. Machinability investigations on hardened AISI 4340 steel using coated carbide insert. Int J Refractory Metals Hard Mater2012; 33: 75–86.
30.
KumarRSahooAKMishraPC, et al. Comparative investigation towards machinability improvement in hard turning using coated and uncoated carbide inserts: part I experimental investigation. Adv Manuf2018; 6: 52–70.
31.
RoySKumarRSahooAK, et al. Cutting tool failure and surface finish analysis in pulsating MQL-assisted hard turning. J Fail Anal and Preven2020; 20: 1274–1291.
32.
SureshRBasavarajappaSSamuelGL.Some studies on hard turning of AISI 4340 steel using multilayer coated carbide tool. Measurement2012; 45: 1872–1884.
33.
ChinchanikarSChoudhurySK.Investigations on machinability aspects of hardened AISI 4340 steel at different levels of hardness using coated carbide tools. Int J Refractory Metals Hard Mater2013; 38: 124–133.
34.
AzamMJahanzaibMWasimA, et al. Surface roughness modeling using RSM for HSLA steel by coated carbide tools. Int J Adv Manuf Technol2015; 78: 1031–1041.
35.
DosbaevaGKEl HakimMAShalabyMA, et al. Cutting temperature effect on PCBN and CVD coated carbide tools in hard turning of D2 tool steel. Int J Refractory Metals Hard Mater2015; 50: 1–8.
36.
CakanA.Wear behavior of multilayer coated carbide tools in finish dry hard turning. Mater Test2016; 58: 772–777.
37.
KebloutiOBoulanouarLAziziMA, et al. Effects of coating material and cutting parameters on the surface roughness and cutting forces in dry turning of AISI 52100 steel. Struct Eng Mech2017; 61: 519–526.
38.
ŞahinoğluARafighiM.Optimization of cutting parameters with respect to roughness for machining of hardened AISI 1040 steel. Mater Test2020; 62: 85–95.
39.
DashLPadhanSDasA, et al. Machinability investigation and sustainability assessment in hard turning of AISI D3 steel with coated carbide tool under nanofluid minimum quantity lubrication-cooling condition. Proc IMechE, Part C: J Mechanical Engineering Science2021; doi:10.1177/0954406221993844
40.
SahooAKSahooB.A comparative study on performance of multilayer coated and uncoated carbide inserts when turning AISI D2 steel under dry environment. Measurement2013; 46: 2695–2704.
41.
ShihabSKKhanZAMohammadA, et al. Optimization of surface integrity in dry hard turning using RSM. Sadhana2014; 39: 1035–1053.
42.
DasSRPandaADhupalD.Experimental investigation of surface roughness, flank wear, chip morphology and cost estimation during machining of hardened AISI 4340 steel with coated carbide insert. Mech Adv Mater Mod Process2017; 3: 9
43.
SahooAKSahooB.Experimental investigations on machinability aspects in finish hard turning of AISI 4340 steel using uncoated and multilayer coated carbide inserts. Measurement2012; 45: 2153–2165.
44.
ThakurAGangopadhyayS.Evaluation of micro-features of chips of Inconel 825 during dry turning with uncoated and chemical vapour deposition multilayer coated tools. Proc IMechE, Part B: J Engineering Manufacture2018; 232: 979–994.
45.
El HakimMAAbadMDAbdelhameedMM, et al. Wear behavior of some cutting tool materials in hard turning of HSS. Tribol Int2011; 44: 1174–1181.
46.
MirMJWaniMF.Performance evaluation of PCBN, coated carbide and mixed ceramic inserts in finish-turning of AISI D2 steel. J Tribol2017; 14: 10–31.
47.
TuffyKByrneGDowlingD.Determination of the optimum TiN coating thickness on WC inserts for machining carbon steels. J Mater Process Technol2004; 155–156: 1861–1866.
48.
SargadeVGGangopadhyaySPaulS, et al. Effect of coating thickness on the characteristics and dry machining performance of TiN film deposited on cemented carbide inserts using CFUBMS. Mater Manuf Process2011; 26: 1028–1033.
49.
YangWXiongJGuoZ, et al. Structure and properties of PVD TiAlN and TiAlN/CrAlN coated Ti(C, N)-based cermets. Ceram Int2017; 43: 1911–1915.
50.
S, KumarCPatelS.Experimental and numerical investigations on the effect of varying AlTiN coating thickness on hard machining performance of Al2O3 -TiCN mixed ceramic inserts. Surf Coat Technol2017; 309: 266–281.
51.
TamangSKChandrasekaranMSahooAK.Sustainable machining: an experimental investigation and optimization of machining inconel 825 with dry and MQL approach. J Braz Soc Mech Sci Eng2018; 374: 40.
52.
LiuWChuQZengJ, et al. PVD-CrAlN and TiAlN coated Si 3 N 4 ceramic cutting tools – 1. Microstructure, turning performance and wear mechanism. Ceram Int2017; 43: 8999–9004.
53.
ThakurAGangopadhyayS.Influence of tribological properties on the performance of uncoated, CVD and PVD coated tools in machining of Incoloy 825. Tribol Int2016; 102: 198–212.
54.
LimaJGÁvilaRFAbrãoAM, et al. Hard turning: AISI 4340 high strength low alloy steel and AISI D2 cold work tool steel. J Mater Process Technol2005; 169: 388–395.
55.
PadhanSDasASantoshwarA, et al. Sustainability assessment and machinability investigation of austenitic stainless steel in finish turning with advanced Ultra-Hard SiAlON ceramic tool under different cutting environments. Silicon2021; 13: 119–147.
56.
ShawMC.Metal cutting principles. 2nd ed.New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.
57.
DasRKSahooAKMishraPC, et al. Comparative machinability performance of heat treated 4340 steel under dry and minimum quantity lubrication surroundings. Proc Manuf2018; 20: 377–385.
58.
DobrzańskiLAMikułaJ.Structure and properties of PVD and CVD coated Al2O3+TiC mixed oxide tool ceramics for dry on high speed cutting processes. J Mater Process Technol2005; 164–165: 822–831.
