Milling Inserts Wear Problems and Solutions
Type of Wear
-
-
Flank WearFlank Wear
Cause- High cutting speed
- Low wear resistance carbide grade
Remedy- Reduce cutting speed
- Use a more wear- resistant cutting tool material grade
- Select a more wear resistant grade
- For work-hardening materials, select a smaller entry angle
- Reduce the cutting speed when machining heat resistant materials
-
Crater WearCrater Wear
Cause- Excessive cutting temperatures and pressures on the top of the insert
Remedy- Reduce cutting speed
- Reduce feed
- Use a tool with more positive geometry
- Use a harder material grade
- Select a more wear resistant grade
- Select a more positive insert geometry
- Reduce the cutting speed or reduce the feed rate to lower the temperature
- Use higher coolant flow and pressure, consider High pressure coolant
-
Plastic DeformationPlastic Deformation
Cause- Cutting temperature is too high
Remedy- Reduce cutting speed
- Use a harder material grade
- Significantly increase coolant supply
-
Notch WearNotch Wear
Cause- Cutting speed is too high, or insufficient insert wear resistance of the carbide grade
Remedy- Use more wear resistant tool material grade
- Reduce cutting speed
- Vary cutting depth
- Use insert with a reinforced cutting edge geometry
- For work-hardening materials, select a smaller entry angle
- Reduce the cutting speed when machining heat resistant materials
-
Thermal CrackingThermal Cracking
Cause- Excessive variations in surface temperature, intermittent machining, or variations in coolant supply
Remedy- Reduce cutting speed
- Use tougher cutting tool material grade
- Significantly increase coolant supply or turn it off
- Eliminate the use of coolant whenever possible
-
Edge FractureEdge Fracture
Cause- Caused by excessive insert wear before indexing the insert
- The grade and geometry could be too weak for the applications
- Excessive load on the insert
- Built-up edge has been formed on the insert
Remedy- Use inserts with larger corner radius / chamfer, preferrably single-sided
- Use cutters of chatter-free geometry
- Use a tougher cutting tool material grade
- Reduce feed
- Apply vibration-dampening toolholders
-
Built-up EdgeBuilt-up Edge
Cause- Cutting zone temperature is too low
- Negative cutting geometry
- Machining of very sticky materials such as low-carbon steel, stainless steels, and aluminum
Remedy- Increase cutting speed
- Use cutters with more positive rake angle and sharper cutting edge
- Significantly increase coolant supply
- Use inserts, produced from a tool material grade with a post coating treatment
-
ChippingChipping
Cause- Caused by either the cutting edge of the insert being too brittle, or a built-up edge has been formed
Remedy- Use inserts, produced from a tougher tool material grade
- Use inserts with reinforced cutting edge
- Increase cutting speed
- Apply cutters with chatter-free geometry
- Apply vibration-dampening toolholders
-
-
-
Flank WearFlank Wear
Cause- High cutting speed
- Low wear resistance carbide grade
Remedy- Reduce cutting speed
- Use a more wear- resistant cutting tool material grade
- Select a more wear resistant grade
- For work-hardening materials, select a smaller entry angle
- Reduce the cutting speed when machining heat resistant materials
-
Crater WearCrater Wear
Cause- Excessive cutting temperatures and pressures on the top of the insert
Remedy- Reduce cutting speed
- Reduce feed
- Use a tool with more positive geometry
- Use a harder material grade
- Select a more wear resistant grade
- Select a more positive insert geometry
- Reduce the cutting speed or reduce the feed rate to lower the temperature
- Use higher coolant flow and pressure, consider High pressure coolant
-
Plastic DeformationPlastic Deformation
Cause- Cutting temperature is too high
Remedy- Reduce cutting speed
- Use a harder material grade
- Reduce the feed rate
-
Thermal CrackingThermal Cracking
Cause- Excessive variations in surface temperature, intermittent machining, or variations in coolant supply
Remedy- Reduce cutting speed
- Use tougher cutting tool material grade with higher thermal resistance
- Significantly increase coolant supply or turn it off
- Select a tougher insert grade
- Eliminate the use of coolant whenever possible
-
Edge FractureEdge Fracture
Cause- Caused by excessive insert wear before indexing the insert
- The grade and geometry could be too weak for the applications
- Excessive load on the insert
- Built-up edge has been formed on the insert
Remedy- Reduce cutting speed
- Use endmills of chatter-free geometry
- Use a tougher cutting tool material grade
-
Built-up EdgeBuilt-up Edge
Cause- Cutting zone temperature is too low
- Negative cutting geometry
- Machining of very sticky materials such as low-carbon steel, stainless steels, and aluminum
Remedy- Increase cutting speed
- Significantly increase coolant supply
- Use inserts, produced from a tool material grade with a post coating treatment
-