Study on the influence of micro-textures on wear mechanism of cemented carbide tools

Wear behavior of micro-textured insert with lubrication was studied. Micro-pits with different diameters (80–200 μm), depths (3–10 μm), and area occupancies (10–30%) were manufactured on the tool rake face near the main cutting edge. Experimental research was conducted to reveal the effect of micro-pits on tool-chip interface friction characteristics. Besides, the texture parameter with better tribological characteristics was selected to study the wear mechanism of textured insert. Scanning electron microscopy analysis was conducted on the worn area of rake face. The results confirmed that the micro-textures can effectively reduce the average shear strength of rake face and actual tool-chip contact length during machining. The best average friction coefficient can be obtained with texture diameter of 170 μm, depth of 7 μm, and area occupancy of 20%. Adhesive wear, diffusion wear, and oxidation wear appeared on the worn area of rake face. The micro-textures can effectively reduce the diffusion wear and suppress the built-up edge (BUE) by improving tool-chip interface friction characteristics. The findings are of significance for enhancing the application of textured insert with excellent tribological characteristics.