The Institute of Production Engineering and Machine Tools (IFW) at Leibniz Universität Hannover is currently working on the determination of mechanical load stresses on worn tools as part of the SPP 2402 "Greybox models for the qualification of coated tools for high-performance cutting" in sub-project D03. Until now, research has concentrated on analyzing load stresses on new cutting edges, but the current research project now opens up the possibility of broadening this perspective and turning to worn cutting wedges in order to significantly expand knowledge of the cutting edge. By calculating load stresses on tools that are already at an advanced stage of wear, a more precise assessment of the actual load and the effects of wear is made possible.
Why is this so important? The key factor is the ability to develop more accurate wear rate models based not only on the ideal new cutting edges, but also on the real conditions of worn tools. Such a development could lead to groundbreaking advances in tool design. In the future, tools could not only be optimized for use when they are as good as new, but also when they are in an advanced state of wear. This approach promises not only to extend the service life of tools, but also to optimize their performance over their entire life cycle.
In the current project, a particular focus is on the behavior of tool coatings. An improved understanding of the load stresses on worn cutting wedges enables an optimized design of coatings, which in turn improves the performance of the tools in different environments and applications. The development of multilayer coatings is of particular interest here. Here, deeper layers of the coating are only exposed by the wear of the tool and could be designed in a load-optimized manner using the findings from the current project.
Contact:
For further information, please contact Malte Kraeft, Institute of Production Engineering and Machine Tools at Leibniz Universität Hannover, on +49 511 762 12321 or by e-mail (kraeft@ifw.uni-hannover.de).
