Technical Sharing | Master Cutting Tool Knowledge for Smart Machining Solutions
SNSTC 2025-11-19
In the field of machining, cutting tools play a crucial role. Today, we will explore knowledge related to cutting tools, including their manufacturing process, common failures, and corresponding solutions, helping you better address challenges in machining.
1、Manufacturing Process of Cutting Tools
The manufacturing of cutting tools is precise and complex.The process begins with material selection. High-performance materials such as high-speed steel and carbide are commonly used due to their high hardness and wear resistance, enabling them to withstand high temperature and pressure during cutting.This is followed by forming, using techniques such as forging and powder metallurgy to create the tool’s preliminary shape.Next is grinding. Using high-precision grinding equipment, the cutting edge is sharpened to ensure cutting accuracy.The final step is coating, such as coating with titanium nitride, which improves the tool’s heat resistance and wear resistance, thereby extending service life.
2、What Is Cutting?
Cutting is an important machining method in which a tool removes excess material from the workpiece to achieve the desired size, shape, and surface quality. For example, in turning or milling, the tool moves relative to the workpiece to produce the desired part.
3、What Is Turning?
Turning is one of the most commonly used cutting machining methods, predominantly performed on a lathe. In this process, the workpiece rotates while the tool feeds linearly along its axis, enabling the machining of cylindrical, conical, and threaded surfaces. Owing to its high efficiency, precision, and superior surface quality, turning is especially suitable for manufacturing shaft- and disc-type components.
4、What Is Milling?
Milling is also an important cutting process. It relies on the rotation of the milling cutter on a milling machine while the workpiece performs the feed motion. The milling cutter has multiple cutting edges, which remove material from the workpiece intermittently in sequence during machining. Milling is highly efficient for machining planes, grooves, gears, and a variety of complex shapes. It is particularly suitable for mass production, significantly enhancing both machining efficiency and quality.
5、What Is the Drill Bits
A drill bit is a cutting tool used for making holes in solid materials. It has cutting edges at the front that penetrate the material as the bit rotates, forming a circular hole. There are many types of drill bits, such as twist drills and center drills. Drill bits made from different materials and with different structures are suited to drilling various materials and are widely used in mechanical manufacturing, construction, hardware, and other fields.
6、Common Cutting Tool Issues and Solutions
① Wear
During cutting, friction occurs between the tool, the workpiece, and the chips, resulting in wear. Wear progresses rapidly at the initial stage, then enters a stable wear phase, and eventually accelerates sharply, leading to tool failure. Countermeasures include selecting wear-resistant tool materials, optimizing cutting parameters (reducing cutting speed and feed rate while increasing cutting depth), and using cutting fluid appropriately to reduce cutting temperature and delay wear progression.
②Chipping
When the tool is subjected to impact load or a sudden increase in cutting force, the cutting edge is prone to chipping. Possible causes include high material brittleness, excessive sharpness of the cutting edge, improper cutting parameters, or hard spots within the workpiece material. Improvement measures include selecting tool materials with good toughness, appropriately honing the cutting edge, optimizing cutting parameters, and ensuring stable workpiece clamping.
③Built-up Edge
At medium cutting speeds, intense friction between the chip and the tool’s rake face generates heat, causing local adhesion and forming a built-up edge. This increases the effective rake angle of the tool, alters cutting thickness, and negatively affects machining accuracy and surface quality. To prevent BUE formation, adjust the cutting speed (either increase or decrease it to avoid the critical range) and use cutting fluid to reduce friction.
④Vibration
Vibration may occur when the rigidity of the tool–workpiece system is insufficient, cutting parameters are improperly set, or the cutting edge is asymmetrical. Vibration leads to reduced surface quality and shortened tool life. It can be mitigated by increasing system rigidity (e.g., using high-rigidity tool holders and securely clamping the workpiece), adjusting cutting parameters (reducing feed rate and cutting depth), and optimizing tool geometry (regrinding the tool to balance the cutting edge).
Understanding cutting tool technology and corresponding failure countermeasures is critical for improving production efficiency and ensuring machining quality. We hope this sharing provides practical assistance in your machining operations. Let us work together to overcome processing challenges and move toward a more efficient path of manufacturing!
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