Thermal characteristics in milling Ti6Al4V with polycrystalline diamond tools

The low thermal conductivity and high chemical affinity of Ti6Al4V make it extremely difficult to machine. The thermal characteristics in milling Ti6Al4V with polycrystalline diamond (PCD) tools were studied in the paper. A predictive model was developed and validated to investigate the relationship between average cutting temperature and machining parameters. X-ray diffraction (XRD) method was applied to examine residual chemical components on the PCD tools. Evidences of material diffusion and chemical reaction on the PCD tool showed that some region of the cutter suffered from higher than detected temperature. Based on SEM photos of serrated chips, serration frequency was investigated. Results from chip morphology illustrated that serration frequency changed on each single chip.