PERFORMANCE OF A COATED CEMENTED CARBIDE TOOL IN HIGH SPEED MILLING OF TI-6AL-4V ALLOY

A series of experiments were conducted to study the performance of a coated cemented carbide tool in high speed milling of Ti-6Al-4V alloy. Experimental measurements of three components of the cutting forces were performed by using a three-component dynamometer. The cutting temperature was measured by using an infrared thermal imager. The variation of cutting forces and cutting temperature with the cutting parameters are investigated. The influence of cutting speed, axial depth of cut, and feed rate on the cutting forces and cutting temperature are analyzed and discussed. The wear patterns of the tool were investigated using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and analysis of energy spectrum, and the wear mechanism is discussed. It is found that abrasive wear and adhesive wear are the dominant wear mechanism of the tool.