The effects of laser surface texturing on scratch test and machining performance of tungsten carbide tools when turning Ti-6Al-4V

The effects of laser surface texturing (LST) involving dimples and grooves on the tribological performance of tungsten carbide blocks and turning inserts are investigated in this paper. The blocks were subjected to scratch tests while the inserts were utilised in dry machining of a Ti-6Al-4V alloy. The performance of the laser textured tools was evaluated in terms of cutting force, tool wear and workpiece surface roughness with respect to an untextured counterpart. During the scratch tests, pronounced material transfer together with a higher coefficient of friction was obtained at the regions textured with grooves. In the machining trials, the textured tools typically exhibited lower cutting forces, i.e. tangential and axial forces by up to 10% and 50%, respectively, together with a marginally reduced built-up layer formation on the rake face in comparison to the untextured ones. The use of patterned inserts also resulted in lower workpiece Ra and Sa, by up to 34% and 26%, respectively, in the majority of trials compared to that recorded following machining with the untextured tools.