Chip Morphology and Tool Wear Properties in Hard Milling 3Cr13Cu Stainless Steel with Different Kind of Tools

The 3Cr13Cu stainless steel at 44 HRC was milled using the cermet cutting tool and coated carbide cutting tool respectively. The chip morphologies and wear of the two types of tools when milling at various cutting speeds were investigated. The results show that chip shape was affected by the tool thermal conductivity, the smaller thermal conductivity, the easier to form serrated chip. The formation of serrated chip caused a more significant destruction of the cermet cutting tool, and less impact on the coated carbide tool failure. The smaller the saw-tooth pitch is, the larger the breakage area of the tool rake face is. At the same milling distance, the flank wear of the cermet tool increased with cutting speed increase, while that of the coated carbide tool first decreased, then increased with increase of the cutting speed.