Performance of TiN-coated high speed steel tool inserts in turning

Abstract

While it is well known that thin, hard coatings can reduce tool wear and improve tool life and productivity, there is still little consensus over the degree of advantage coated tools have over their uncoated counterparts. This paper compares the behaviour of titanium nitride- (TiN-) coated and uncoated high speed steel (HSS) tool inserts during turning. Wear maps describing the crater wear characteristics of these tools are used to show that the extent of tool wear reduction due to the coatings depends strongly on the cutting speed and feed rate. The maps also demonstrate that the benefits of TiN coatings on HSS tools may be easily realized over a wide range of machining conditions.