Brittleness of cutting tools when cutting ironwood

Mozambique possesses tropical tree species that have renowned commercial value, but little is known about primary and secondary processing characteristics of these materials. For that reason, a better understanding of wood cutting-tool materials is necessary to optimize the production process, reduce exports of raw timber and stimulate industrial transformation. The aim of this work was to study tool wear behaviour when cutting ironwood (Swartzia Madagascariensis). The experiments were carried out on a shaper. Six different cemented-carbide grades for woodworking were tested, and the cutting parameters were fixed. Results obtained showed good correlation between tool wear and tool physical properties. Results also indicated that tool wear differed largely among the tested cemented-carbide grades.