Performance and wear mechanisms of coated PCBN tools in high-speed turning superalloy GH4202

Abstract Nickel-based superalloys are widely used in aerospace and other fields for their superior performance. PCBN is an excellent tool material for cutting superalloys because of its excellent cutting performance. To study the wear mechanism of PCBN tools with different coatings (Uncoated, TiN, and TiAlN) for machining superalloy GH4202 under different cutting conditions, cutting tests were carried out at a wide range of cutting speeds (vc=50-400m/min). Two different cutting conditions, dry cutting, and wet cutting were also introduced. The results showed that the coating can reduce tool wear in dry cutting at a range of speeds (vc =50-200m/min). The coating has the opposite effect when cutting coolant is added. Wear mechanisms vary at different cutting speeds. At high cutting speeds (vc =200-400m/min) coatings and cutting coolant have little effect on tool wear. The TiN coating is the most sensitive to the cutting coolant and the uncoated tool is the most stable. Significant deposition of wear products can be observed at high cutting speeds with the addition of cutting coolant.