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Three elements of cutting technology system and tool application technology
Since the 1980s, driven by advanced technologies like information technology, machining has entered a new phase marked by "high-speed, high-efficiency, intelligence, integration, and environmental protection." Innovations such as high-speed (effective) cutting, near-net forming, flexible processing, five-axis machining, multi-process machine tools, network manufacturing, and green manufacturing have emerged. These technologies help manufacturers develop new products, improve efficiency and quality, reduce costs, shorten lead times, and protect the environment while minimizing energy and resource consumption. Among these advancements, progress in cutting technologies and tools stands out as particularly significant. They have become one of the most essential processes in modern manufacturing and are indispensable for metal processing companies aiming to innovate, adopt new materials, and develop new processes.
As cutting technology continues to evolve, the application of cutting tools plays an increasingly vital role. The value a tool brings to users depends not only on its initial design and production but also on how it is used in real-world conditions. Tool manufacturers now focus on providing application technologies to their customers, helping them boost productivity, cut costs, enhance quality, and support innovation. This has made tool application technology a core competency for toolmakers and a key area of attention. For end-users, improving tool application techniques can unlock existing machining potential, increase efficiency, and lay the foundation for future product and process development.
Metal cutting is a complex, multi-factorial process, and the application of cutting tools involves a wide range of technical content. In this lecture, we analyze the cutting process to identify the main factors influencing it, serving as a basis for understanding common tool application practices. The goal is to guide proper tool usage effectively.
Figure 1 illustrates a simplified diagram of turning and related terms. The cutting process takes place in the cutting zone where the tool interacts with the workpiece. As the material passes through this zone, it transforms into chips that are discharged along the rake face. An enlarged view shows the detailed interaction between the tool and the workpiece. During cutting, the material layer to be removed enters the deformation zone. Under the action of the tool’s rake face, deformation and lattice slippage occur, generating shear along the imaginary slip plane OA, which results in chip formation. As the chips are discharged, friction occurs between the freshly exposed surface of the chip and the rake face in the OB section, forming a friction area on the rake face. The machined surface, after slipping past the tool tip, experiences friction with the flank face in the OC section due to material springback, creating a flank friction area. The tool then operates under the combined influence of forces and heat from both the deformation and friction zones.
From this, it's clear that the tool and the workpiece are central to the cutting process. However, supporting technologies are also necessary to ensure the entire process runs smoothly. As a metal processing technique, the metal cutting process can be represented by the technical system shown in Figure 2. This system consists of three parts: the cutting process system, the cutting mechanism, and the machining effects, each separated by dotted lines.
The first part is the cutting process system, composed of the machine tool, the cutting tool, and the workpiece. Machine tools and cutting tools are essential for cutting operations. Depending on the movement and power provided by the machine tool, excess metal is removed from the workpiece in the form of swarf, resulting in the desired machining outcome. To better understand the cutting process, it's important to refine the technical aspects of the tools, machine tools, and workpieces.
The cutting tool is a critical component of the cutting process. It contains three main technical elements: tool material and coating, geometric angles, and tool structure. A tool must be made from specialized materials, have precise geometry, and a suitable structure. These three elements together give the tool its cutting function and determine its performance. Therefore, understanding and mastering these elements is crucial to cutting technology.
Cutting technology related to machine tools includes cutting parameters, process types, and cutting conditions. The machine tool provides the technological platform for the tool to perform various cutting operations, including the power needed for cutting, the relative motion between the tool and the workpiece, and the conditions for cooling and lubrication. The speed of the relative motion—main cutting speed and feed speed—are two key cutting parameters. Machining requires the machine to have sufficient power, rigidity, speed, automation, and precision. Thus, the performance of the machine tool significantly affects the cutting process and is closely linked to its level. Understanding and correctly using the machine tool are prerequisites for effective machining. Both the machine tool and the cutting tool mutually promote the advancement of cutting technology.
The workpiece is the object being cut and is also a key component of cutting technology. Its dimensional accuracy, surface quality, material, and structure all impact the cutting process. The selection of cutting parameters and the design of the tool geometry must be adapted to the specific characteristics of the workpiece. Especially, the machinability of the workpiece material has a significant influence on the cutting process and has become an important technical aspect. Today, the materials requiring machining go beyond traditional metals. Non-metallic and synthetic materials are increasingly used as engineering materials, opening up new areas in cutting technology.
The second part of the cutting technology system is the mechanism of metal removal, including the cutting deformation process and the two important physical phenomena that accompany it: cutting force and cutting heat. These forces and heat convey information within the cutting process and have a major impact on it. The forces required to push the tool, cut off the metal, and the friction between the tool and the workpiece and the chip make up the cutting system forces. The machine's drive system must overcome these forces and provide adequate power. Cutting forces cause deformation in the machine tool, tool, and workpiece, affecting machining accuracy. The cutting forces and friction acting on the tool lead to tool wear and damage. The heat generated during the relative motion of the tool and workpiece also causes deformation in the process system and exacerbates tool wear. Reducing cutting forces and heat, lowering cutting temperatures, slowing tool wear, and preventing tool failure have become important bases for setting cutting parameters and selecting tools. Since tool wear and failure are direct consequences of cutting forces and heat, the size, speed, topography, and failure characteristics of the tool are all related to these factors. Therefore, they are essential for analyzing and understanding the cutting process. The key to application technology lies in effectively reducing wear or preventing breakage. Figure 3 shows a typical wear diagram of a turning tool, illustrating the wear patterns around the tool tip and representing other tools. Figure 4 displays the various wear and damage appearances and causes of turning tools under the influence of force and heat. Effective measures to reduce wear or prevent breakage are the main focus of tool application technology.
Currently, high-speed steel tools account for about 35% of the world's total tool sales. The global tool consumption market is calculated based on product sales, with general machinery and automotive manufacturing each accounting for about 35%, and aerospace around 10%, among which are high-speed steel cutters.
**Focus on High-Speed Steel Cutters**
Mr. Shen Hong, Honorary Chairman of the China Association of Blades, once said, “Tools may be small, but they are powerful.†Indeed, cutting tools are among the most dynamic factors in machining. As a manufacturing powerhouse, China's machine tool consumption is already the highest in the world. Manufacturing companies invest more in cutting tools to increase productivity and gain greater benefits, which drives rapid growth in the purchase of cutting tools. Currently, annual sales of foreign cutting tools in China reach $500 million, with Sandvik Coromant achieving annual sales of 1 billion yuan, and an average growth rate of 23% over the past decade. In the first three quarters of 2007, the tool sales of 650 domestic tool companies reached 11.8 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 27.1%. The huge market potential has attracted investment in the tool industry. Projects such as Zhuzhou Diamonds and Xiamen Jinlu’s indexable cutting tool projects, Jiangsu Tiangong’s tapping and grinding drill production lines, and foreign investments like Kennametal’s Tianjin plant, Iska’s Dalian plant, and Sandvik’s equity participation in Xiamen Jinlu include both hard alloy and high-speed steel cutting tools. These developments show that high-speed steel cutters occupy an irreplaceable position in modern manufacturing. We must pay close attention to high-speed steel cutting tools and vigorously develop them.
In recent years, high-speed steel materials and high-speed steel cutting tool technology have made great progress. First, high-performance high-speed steels such as M42, M35, and China-specific aluminum high-speed steel (commonly known as 501 or M2Al) achieve hardness of HRC 69–70 after heat treatment. Powder metallurgy high-speed steel gear hobbing can reach cutting speeds of 150–180 m/min or higher, and powder metallurgy high-speed steel cones can process gray cast iron threads at 65 m/min. Second, compared to hard alloys, high-speed steel has higher strength and toughness, making it the preferred choice for manufacturing complex tools and drilling tools. According to statistics, 33% of milling cutters, 95% of taps, 51% of twist drills, 81% of gear cutters, 86% of broaches, and 95% of saw blades are made of high-speed steel. Among them, 70% of gear cutters, 50% of broaches, 20% of end mills, and 10% of taps are made of powdered high-speed steel. Third, high-speed steel tools have sharp edges, light cutting, and are less likely to cause work hardening in the workpiece, giving them advantages when processing stainless steels, nickel-based alloys, and titanium alloys. When cutting such difficult-to-machine materials, we should not limit ourselves to hard alloys but can also try high-speed steel drills and milling cutters with large rake angles and sharp cutting edges.
In Europe, there is an institution called the High Speed Steel Research Forum. Through research and training, it focuses on the development and application of high-speed steel technology. Taking a moment to explore its website will yield valuable insights.
High-speed steel tools currently account for about 35% of the world's total tool sales. The global tool consumption market is calculated based on product sales, with general machinery and automotive manufacturing each accounting for about 35%, and aerospace around 10%, among which are high-speed steel cutters. Friends from U.S. companies and foreign trade firms who worked at Boeing sent me a message stating that a large number of high-speed steel twist drills are used in aircraft manufacturing. If a certain type of twist drill can drill 7–8 spring steel plates for trucks, it might be accepted by Boeing.
China is now the largest producer of high-speed steel and high-speed steel cutting tools globally. The production and export volume of high-speed steel and high-speed steel cutting tools (mainly twist drills) are the highest in the world. In 2006, products from Shanggong, Jiangsu Tiangong, Jiangsu Feida, Harbin, and Chenggao high-speed steel cutting tool twist drills won the title of Chinese famous brand products. These products have gained recognition in the European and American industrial cutting tool markets, indicating that China’s high-speed steel cutting tools have made significant progress in both scale and quality.
Economists expect that the rapid growth of the Chinese economy and the development of the manufacturing industry will continue for at least 10 years. This provides unprecedented opportunities and challenges for the cutting tools industry. Currently, high-speed steel tools account for about 75% of the total number of domestic tools, but powder metallurgy high-speed steel materials and some high-end high-speed steel tools are still heavily dependent on imports. We must vigorously develop high-speed steel cutting tools, including the development of new high-speed steel grades, especially powdered high-speed steel, to create more and better high-speed steel cutting tools and strive to improve their application levels. It is believed that through the joint efforts of all cutting workers and comprehensive innovations in tool materials, tool structure, manufacturing processes, and application technologies, the level of development and application of Chinese high-speed steel cutting tools will surely reach a new height, making tangible contributions to the revitalization of China’s cutting technology.