a white paper

Controlling
Tool Wear
Replacing worn cutting tools is a fact of machining life that we all accept,
but that doesnt mean we have to like it. Sure, in the grand scheme of
manufacturing costs, the amount of money we spend on tooling is relatively
small Of course this doesnt include the costs of labor and production time
lost when replacing worn tools. Thats why its important to consider
all of the factors that affect tool wear and have a plan to address them.

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Face the Consequences

There are many factors that contribute to
tool wear including high surface loads, high
spindle speeds, surface temperature, and
material composition.
Therefore each application creates different tool wear
problems. This means you must take all of these factors into
consideration when determining when to replace a tool.

Types of Cutting Tool Wear

Just how important is it to replace an insert before it

becomes badly worn? Naturally you want to get the most
mileage out of your cutting tools, but excessive tool wear
can have grave consequences. Severely damaged inserts
will damage shims that, in turn, can damage the tool holder.
If the tool holder and cutting insert are no longer properly
positioned or able to maintain rigidity, they affect the
accuracy of the cut and the quality of the finished part youre
cutting. The result could be costly scrap and/or rework.
Even more expensive is the potential for damage to the
machine tool itself. Thats why monitoring tool wear and
determining the optimum life of tooling is so important.

Flank Wear
The insert breaks down quickly when flank wear
achieves a critical width.
Lowering cutting speed helps reduce flank wear,
but you lose productivity. The solution is to switch to
an insert that has greater wear resistance.

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Crater Wear
Found on the rake side of the insert. Excessive crater
wear weakens the cutting edge and can cause fractures.
Caused by a chemical reaction between the material and
the cutting tool.
A change in chip composition may indicate crater wear
because it changes the geometry of the insert.
Reducing cutting speed can help, but choosing a more
compatible insert coating is the longterm solution.

Notch Wear
Another effect of adhesion that forms oxidation and
excessively damages both the rake face and flank at
the depth of the cut line.
More common when machining stainless steel and heat
resistant super alloys (HRSA).
Notch wear on the trailing edge occurs where the cutting
edge and material part, while notch wear on the leading
edge indicates a harder material that requires a more
wear-resistant insert.
A larger lead angle may be a short-term solution.

Built-up Edge
Caused by pressure welding of chips (adhesion)
to the insert.
Most common when machining sticky materials such
as low carbon steel, stainless steel and aluminum.
Lowering cutting speeds generally makes the problem
worse. Increasing cutting speed and adjusting
geometry can help.

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Plastic Deformation
Excessive heat and/or pressure cause the tool
material to soften.
Calls for a more wear-resistant, harder grade and
possibly reducing cutting feed or speed.

Chipping

Edge Fracture

Caused by an overload of mechanical tensile stresses.

Usually caused by other wear factors.

Usually means the insert is not appropriate

for the application.

Reducing speed and feed can help, or select a

different insert.

The remedy is to use an insert with a stronger

cutting edge.

Tool Holder Maintenance

An often-overlooked way to maximize tool performance
is tool holder maintenance. The proper care of these
devices should be part of a regularly applied preventative
maintenance program. The reason is quite simple:
Tool holders that dont hold the insert securely or
in the right position will cause premature tool wear,
and likely create problems in the machining process.

Thermal Cracking
Multiple cracks appear perpendicular to the cutting edge.
Often the result of rapid temperature changes from
hot to cold.
Consider how you are using coolant to regulate cutting
temperature, and move to a tougher grade of insert.

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The net result of not adequately maintaining tool holders

is lost production time, premature insert wear, reduced
part quality and additional labor costs as machine operators
spend time resolving the problems caused by the
tool holders.

Fundamental tool holder maintenance includes:

Checking for shim damage.
Keeping the insert seat clean and free of debris.
Indexing or replacing the shim.

Boring Bar Issues

In boring operations, it is especially important to have
the most secure clamping possible. If the bar is not
supported to the end of the holder, increased overhang
will create vibration.

Keeping the spindle, taper, flange, collet and

collet pocket free of dirt and other debris.
If the insert doesnt seat properly in the pocket sides,
the pocket may have become oversized due to wear.
Using a piece of .001 shim stock, look for small
gaps in the corners between the sides and bottom
of the pocket.

Extending Tool Life

The most significant influence on tool wear is cutting speed.
Use the proper size
and type of wrenches
when installing inserts

Therefore adjusting speed will affect the tools useful life.

The chart and formulas below can help you make
adjustments to cutting speed that will influence tool life.

to make sure you

The industry benchmark for tool life is 15 minutes of

dont strip the screw

in-cut time. If you speed up, youll increase tool wear, while

and that the screws

slowing down makes the tool last longer. However, slowing

and clamps are

spindle speed also affects your productivity because the

tightened with the right amount of torque.

metal removal rate is reduced. Therefore you must weigh

Replace worn screws as soon as you see any signs

of wear. Its much less expensive to replace a screw
than a damaged insert or tool.
Apply screw lubricant to the threads to prevent
screws from locking up.
Always check supporting and contact faces of tool
holders, milling cutters and drills, to make sure there
is no damage or debris.
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the advantages of reducing speed to extend tool life against

the effect on your production time.

Tool Life
(Mins.)

Correction
Factor

10

1.11

15

1.0

Cutting Speed and Feed Data Compensation for Turning

Increased feed f n inch/r
+.010
+.008

Example 1

+.006

20

+.004

0.93

Starting Value

+.002

25

0.88

30

0.84

-20%

-15%

-10%

-5%

+5%

+10%

+15%

+20%

-.002
-.004

Example 2

-.006

45

0.75

60

0.70

-.008
-.010

Decreased feed f n inch/r

Example: if the recommended

cutting speed (vc) = 720 ft/min.
A tool life of 10 minutes gives you:
720 x 1.11 = 800 ft/min

How to use the diagram

This diagram shows a simple method of adjusting the starting value for cutting speed
and feed recommendations. Cutting date on insert dispensers are based on a tool life
of 15 minutes and will remain the same with the values taken from this diagram.
Example 1: Increase the feed by
.006 inch/rev (+0.15)

Example 2: Increase the cutting speed by 15%

Result: Decreas the cutting speed by 12%

Result: Increase the feed by .007 inch/rev

Another way to increase tool life and productivity is the use of wiper inserts.
Wiper inserts not only increase productivity, they also produce better surface finish.
For example: A turning operation requiring 125Ra is achievable with a conventional
nose radius of 0.031 feeding at 0.012/rev. However a wiper insert using the same
0.031 nose radius feeds at 0.024/rev and yields the same 125Ra. In this illustration,

Standard corner radius

if the cycle time with the conventional insert is one minute, the user will make 15 parts
using the industry average, while the wiper insert will make 30 parts using the same
average. Both inserts have 15 minutes of tool life, but the wiper insert removes more
metal to make twice as many parts with the same tool life.
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Wiper radius (feed rate x2)

Insert Compositions

Ceramic grades can be applied in a broad range of

Earlier in this paper we discussed various types of cutting

applications and materials, most often in high speed

tool wear. In many cases the remedy for the wear problem

turning operations, but also in grooving and milling

was to use a cutting tool better suited to the application.

operations. The specific properties of each ceramic

The difference in cutting tools has much to do with the

grade enable high productivity when applied correctly.

material used. Here is an overview of the various types of

Knowledge of when and how to use ceramic grades

inserts and their primary characteristics.

is important for success. General limitations of

Coated cemented carbide currently represents 80-90%

of all cutting tool inserts. Its success as a tool material
is due to its unique combination of wear resistance and

ceramics include their thermal shock resistance

and fracture toughness.
Cubic boron nitride (CBN) grades are mostly used for

toughness, and its ability to be formed into complex

finish turning of hardened steels, with a hardness over 45

shapes. It combines cemented carbide with a coating

HRc. Above 55 HRc, CBN is the only cutting tool which

that is customized for its application.

can replace traditionally used grinding methods. Softer

Uncoated cemented carbide grades are either straight

steels, below 45 HRc, contain a higher amount of ferrite,

WC/Co or have a high volume of cubic carbonitrides.

which has a negative effect on the wear resistance of

Typical applications are machining of HRSA (heat resistant

CBN. CBN can also be used for high speed roughing of

super alloys) or titanium alloys, and turning hardened

grey cast irons in both turning and milling operations.

materials at low speed. The wear rate of uncoated

cemented carbide grades is rapid yet controlled.
Cermet grades are used in smearing applications where

Polycrystalline diamond (PCD) tools are limited to

non-ferrous materials, such as high-silicon aluminum,
metal matrix composites (MMC) and carbon fiber

built-up edge is a problem. Its self-sharpening wear

reinforced plastics (CFRP). PCD with flood coolant can

pattern keeps cutting forces low even after long periods

also be used in titanium super-finishing applications.

in cut. This enables a long tool life in finishing operations

and close tolerances, and produces shiny surfaces.

Gosiger thanks Sandvik Coromant for the information

Typical applications are finishing in stainless steels,

and illustrations they contributed to this white

nodular cast irons, low carbon steels and ferritic steels.

paper. Visit them at myyellowcoat.com for extensive

Cermets can also be applied for trouble shooting in all

information about cutting tools.

ferrous materials. Hints: use low feed rates and depth of

cut; change the insert edge when flank wear reaches 0.3
mm; avoid thermal cracks and fractures by machining
without coolant.
www.gosiger.com | (937) 228-5174

www.gosiger.com | (937) 228-5174

www.gosiger.com | (937) 228-5174