Investigation on the tribological properties of different coatings of cutting tool with reciprocating friction test

The friction and wear properties of cutting tools are important to the materials removing process. The coating is effective to reduce the friction and wear of cutting tools. In order to understand the friction and wear characteristics of the coating of cutting tools, groups of friction experiments were arranged and conducted to research the resistance of cutting tools wear. The vertical load, friction ball diameter and reciprocating movement frequency (friction speed) are selected as the experiment factors. The cutting tools was installed in the special designed fixture on a reciprocating movement wear test machine. The wear depth increases with the increase in the Z-load, ball diameter and frequency. The wear width increases with the increase in the Z-load and ball diameter, while it fluctuates with frequency varying. The coefficient of friction of AP25N cutting tools is the lowest when the Z-load, ball diameter and frequency vary. The friction temperature of AP25N cutting tools is the lowest when the Z-load and ball diameter vary except the maximum Z-load and ball diameter, while the friction temperature is the highest when the frequency varies. The wear volume of friction ball used for AP25N cutting tools is the largest due to its better wear resistance. It is found that AP25N cutting tools has the lowest depth and width of wear mark, the smallest friction coefficient, the strongest friction resistance, the lowest friction temperature and the best resistance of friction and wear among the three cutting tools. And load and contact area have a greater impact on friction than frequency.