Improvement of anti-adhesive properties of cutting tool by nano/micro textures and its mechanism

In cutting of aluminum alloys, one of the most serious problems is chip adhesion to cutting tool surface, leading to tool breakage. To solve this problem, we used a surface engineering approach, namely, a highly functionalization of tool surfaces by textures to determine the role of textured surfaces in: (i) retaining cutting fluid and (ii) reducing actual contact area between the tool and chips. In this study, a DLC-coated cutting tool with nano/micro-textured surface using femto-second laser technology was developed. A series of aluminum alloy face-milling experiments showed that the nano/micro-textured surface significantly improved anti-adhesiveness at the tool chip interface. Moreover, through wet and dry cutting experiments, the mechanism of the improvement of anti-adhesive properties was also discussed. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of Prof. E. Brinksmeier