Experimental Investigation on Tool Wear when End-Milling Inconel 718 with Coated Carbide Inserts

In this paper, some experiments were conducted to investigate tool wear when end-milling Inconel 718 with the TiAlN-TiN PVD coated carbide inserts. The worn tools were examined thoroughly under scanning electron microscope (SEM) with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy and 3D digital microscope to expatiate tool wear morphologies and relevant mechanisms. The flank wear was uniformity in finishing milling process, and the average flank wear were selected as the criterion to study the effects of cutting parameters (cutting speed, feed per tooth, radial depth of cut, and axial depth of cut) on tool wear. Finally, the optimal combination of the cutting parameters for the desired tool life is obtained.