Effect of Hybrid Texture on Cutting Performance of WC/Co-based Coated Tools Turning Aluminum Alloy

When cutting aluminum alloy with WC/Co coated tools, severe adhesion and wear exist on the tool-chip contact interface, which are the major factors leading to failure of cutting tools. To address this problem and extend service life of cutting tools, this study introduced surface textures into coated tools, trying to integrate the anti-friction properties of micro-textures with the wear resistance properties of coatings to improve tribological characteristics of tools surface. Firstly, hybrid texture consisting of micro-scale pits and micro-scale grooves were fabricated on the rake surface close to the main cutting edge of carbide tools by picosecond laser. Subsequently, the textured tools were deposited with hard-coatings CrAlN via physical vapor deposition (PVD) technology and the hybrid textured CrAlN coated tool (MPG-T) was obtained eventually. Other texture combinations included micro-scale pits and micro-scale grooves distributed in the tool-chip contact zone. Wet cutting experiments were carried out on these prepared tools. Results showed that compared with micro-scale pitted coated tool (MP-T), micro-scale grooved (MG-T) and conventional coated tool (CCT), MPG-T tool performed better in cutting forces, friction coefficient, tool adhesion and wear on the rake face and the flank face, chip morphology. Moreover, the corresponding synergistic mechanisms of hybrid texture and coatings were proposed. It’s suggested that applying the results to actual industries can enhance the cutting performance of coated tools in machining of aluminum alloy.