A dual-stage wear rate model based on wear mechanisms analysis during cutting Inconel 718 with TiAlN coated tools

Inconel 718 is recognized as the difficult-to-cut material. TiAlN coated tool is frequently applied in machining of such material, due to its excellent hot hardness and oxidation resistance. However, research on the wear rate model during the cutting of Inconel 718 with TiAlN coated tools is limited. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel dual-stage wear rate model to predict wear of TiAlN coated tools when cutting Inconel 718 using finite element (FE) simulation. The dual-stage model integrates impacts from adhesive wear, diffusion wear and abrasive wear, and includes two wear rate models for the initial wear stage and steady wear stage, respectively. Subsequently, an in-depth analysis of tool wear mechanisms is conducted through Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) techniques. The analysis results reveal that the adhesive wear dominates in the initial wear stage, while the steady wear stage witnesses the concurrent involvement of abrasive wear, diffusion wear and adhesive wear. Moreover, extensive cutting experiments validate that the model can predict wear of the TiAlN coated tools with an error margin of less than 8.5 %.