Cutting performance and tool wear mechanism of corrugated helical PCD tool in milling Cf/SiC composites.

Cf/SiC composites are widely utilized in the aerospace industry due to their excellent properties. However, Cf/SiC composites are notoriously challenging to machine. The substantial cutting force and severe tool wear during machining often result in poor surface quality and low machining efficiency. This paper presented a corrugated helical PCD (polycrystalline diamond) tool, featuring a helical structure and an arc array micro-groove on the primary cutting edge, and these micro-groove structures are staggered, facilitating continuous material removal during the machining of Cf/SiC composites. The study investigated the milling force variations of the corrugated helical PCD tool when machining Cf/SiC composites under different milling parameters. A comparative study was conducted on the milling force, surface quality, and tool wear of corrugated helical PCD tool and commercial PCD tools. The experiment revealed that the milling force initially decreases and then increases with rising spindle speed and increases with higher feed rates per tooth, milling depth, and width. The newly designed tool exhibited lower milling force, superior machining surface quality, and extended tool life, approximately 0.7 times that of commercial PCD tools. The cutting performance of the corrugated helical PCD tool proved superior. Additionally, it was confirmed that the primary wear mechanism for the corrugated helical PCD tool cutting Cf/SiC composites was abrasive wear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]