Recent Advances on Coated Milling Tool Technology—A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

The milling process is one of the most used processes in the manufacturing industry. Milling, as a process, as evolved, with new machines and methods being employed, in order to obtain the best results consistently. Milling tools have also seen quite an evolution, from the uncoated high-speed steel tool, to the now vastly used, coated tools. Information on the use of these coated tools in recent scientific researches was collected. The coatings that are currently being researched are going to be presented, highlighting some novel advances in the nanocomposite and diamond coatings area, as these coatings are seeing a growing use in the industry, with very satisfactory results, with performance and tool-life increase. Wear mechanism of various types of coatings are also a popular topic on recent research, as the cutting behavior of these coated tools provides valuable information on the tool’s-life. Furthermore, analysis of these mechanisms enables for the selection of the best coating type for the correct application. Recently, the employment of coated tools paired with sustainable lubrication methods as seen some use. As this presents the opportunity to enhance the coated tool’s and the process’s performance, obtaining better results, in terms of better tool-life and better surface finish quality, in a more sustainable fashion.

Characteristics and Wear Mechanisms of TiAlN-Based Coatings for Machining Applications: A Comprehensive Review

“…These two deposition processes (CVD and PVD) also influence machining performance, for example, PVD coatings are usually thinner than CVD coatings, however, there are some studies that report coatings with thicknesses up to 15 µm [31]. This coupled with the fact that PVD coatings exhibit compressive stresses, makes the cutting edge of the coated tool a very strong and resistant edge, making these types of coatings ideal for finishing operations, whereas in the case of CVD coatings, these exhibit tensile residual stresses and are usually thicker, making them more suited for roughing operations where, for example, a high material removal rate is preferred [32][33][34]. The control over these coatings properties makes them very versatile, moreover, they can be specifically made for a certain application, experiencing various combinations of coating's structures and compositions.…”

Diamond Deposition on Iron and Steel Substrates: A Review

“…That is because the successful coating can combine the individual advantages of diamond, which are superhard, chemically inert, and wear resistant, with the low cost of steel cores that possess superior mechanical/physical performances. Accordingly, many new applications in the industry will open up [9].…”

Cutting Forces Assessment in CNC Machining Processes: A Critical Review

“…Correct coating application is crucial for having a good machining process, as these coatings influence the wear rate of the tool and the quality of the machined part [12]. A wrong application or a poorly optimized process will influence the cutting forces generated during the machining process [13,14]. Having knowledge of how these forces influence the machining process is very important when it comes to process optimization, as these forces are directly correlated to certain aspects, such as surface finish quality, tool life, and energy consumption.…”

“…As previously mentioned, the monitoring of cutting forces is of great importance, not only to improve/optimize the machining process, but also to gain insight into the cutting behavior of some tools, or even achieve knowledge on the machining process itself. Furthermore, cutting force determination/monitoring can bring the improvement of some cutting-tool technology, such as the use of new types of coatings for cutting tools [13,14], or even studying the influence of novel geometries, and how these will affect the cutting forces generation. -Simulation process is time-consuming and may take several hours of computing time; -Harder to implement than cutting force sensing systems (i.e., dynamometers); -Highly reliable on previously collected data.…”