Fatigue failure analysis of ceramic tools in intermittent cutting harden steel based on experiments and finite element method

The major concern of this article is the fatigue failure mechanisms of ceramic cutting tools with the help of intermittent turning experiment and simulation. Finite element simulation was adopted to analyze the spatial and temporal distribution of the stress on the cutting tools. The crack initiation and expansion life in the different positions was researched based on the fatigue crack model. The experiment results showed that the fracture area of flank face reduced with the increase in feed rates, while the fracture area and damage depth of rake face both increased. Through the simulation of fatigue crack, it could be inferred that fatigue fractures were caused by coalescence of cracks. When the feed rate was greater than or equal to 0.2 mm, tool failure was mainly manifested as fatigue fracture of the rake face. And the results of fatigue crack propagation simulation well predicted the cutting tool life. A novel research method for tool fatigue failure was provided.

Failure analysis of ceramic tool in intermittent turning of hardened steel

The aim of this investigation is to identify the Al2O3-(W, Ti)C ceramic fracture modes and failure mechanisms under different cutting speeds and feed rates during intermittent turning of hardened 20CrMnTi steel. The failure surfaces of the cutting tools were examined by digital optical microscope and scanning electron microscope. The cutting forces and transient temperature in the intermittent turning process were measured during the entire life cycle. The experimental results showed that the cutting forces exhibited an increasing trend with the tool failure progression, which in turn accelerated the tool failure progression. The main failure modes of ceramic tools were wear and micro-chipping in the initial stage and final fractures, resulting from mechanical damage and thermal damage in intermittent turning processes. And the cutting temperature increased with the increase in cutting speed. The cutting speeds and feed rates were closely correlated with ceramic tool fracture modes and failure mechanisms. Furthermore, the combination of cutting parameters was divided into four regions with different fracture modes and failure mechanisms of cutting tools according to the fracture morphology of cutting tools. This partitioning analysis can provide a basis for the design and development of different ceramic cutting tools with the desired properties for different applications.