INVESTIGATION OF MACHINING PERFORMANCE OF THE PVD

COATED TUNGSTEN CARBIDE BY SANDBLASTING PRETREATMENT

HARIZ SUFIYAN BIN MOHAMED SUNARI

A report submitted in partial fulfillment of

The requirements for the award of the degree of
Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering with Manufacturing Engineering

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Universiti Malaysia Pahang

JUNE 2012

viii
ABSTRACT

The current work focus is machining performance of the coated tungsten carbide
cutting tool by sandblasting pre-treatment. The main objective of this thesis is to
investigate the effect of surface pre-treatment using sandblast on tungsten carbide (WC)
cutting tool. The effect of machining performance on tungsten carbide cutting tool using
this pre-treatment in term of wear rate also studied. The scope of work include tungsten
carbide as cutting tool, silicon carbide for sandblast pre-treatment, PVD coating process
and machining by turning operation. Tungsten carbide cutting tool was subjected to
sandblast surface pre-treatment for 30 seconds before it was deposited with PVD
coating process. Next, the cutting tool was test by turning machine in order to determine
the wear resistant and other material characterization also was performed such as
microstructure study, hardness Vickers test and surface roughness test. The current
work result shows a smooth surface of the original tungsten carbide surface. After
sandblasting pre-treatment, a coarse surface was developed onto tungsten carbide
cutting carbide. Besides, the machining test performance shows the coated carbide with
sandblasting surface pre-treatment provided longer tools life compared to original
tungsten carbide and coated tungsten carbide without pre-treatment cutting tools. In
addition, the micro hardness test indicated that average Vickers micro hardness of
original tungsten carbide specimen was 863.433 HV while coated carbide with
sandblasting pre-treatment specimen was 1464.9 HV. In surface roughness test, the
surface roughness of tungsten carbide increase after subjected to pre-treatment but
decrease after undergoes coating process. From the result, the sandblasting surface pretreatment and coating process affect the mechanical properties of tungsten carbide
cutting tool such as microstructure, wear resistance, hardness and surface roughness.

ix
ABSTRAK

Kerja ini membentangkan kajian pengubahsuaian pada permukaan tungsten

karbida dengan menggunakan semburan pasir sebagai pra-rawatan pada pemukaan.
Objektif utama tesis ini adalah untuk mengkaji kesan pra-rawatan menggunakan
semburan pasir pada tungsten karbida (WC). Kesan prestasi alat pemotong tungsten
karbida dengan menggunakan pra-rawatan ini diuji dengan mesin untuk melihat sejauh
mana kadar jangka hayatnya dapat bertahan. Skop kerja termasuklah tungsten karbida
sebagai alat pemotong, semburan pasir untuk pra-rawatan, proses salutan PVD dan
proses pemesinan. Alat pemotong tungsten karbida disembur dengan silicon karbida
selama 30 saat dan proses salutan PVD dilakukan. Alatpemotong tungsten karbida diuji
dengan mesin untuk melihat kadar jangka hayatnya serta ujian lain seperti
mikrostruktur, kekerasan dan kekasaran permukaan. Keputusan menunjukkan struktur
biasa pada tungsten karbida asal manakala struktur yang kasar selepas pra-rawatan
semburan pasir dilakukan. Selain itu, ujian dengan mesin menunjukkan tungsten karbida
yang melalui pra-rawatan dan salutan mempunyai kadar jangka masa hayat yang tinggi
berbanding tungsten karbida asal dan tungsten karbida tanpa pra-rawatan.Tambahan
pula, ujian kekerasan Vickers bagi tungsten karbida asal ialah 863.433 HV manakala
kekerasan tungsten karbida yang melalui pra-rawatan dan salutan ialah 1464.9 HV. Di
dalam ujian kekasaran pula menunjukkan kekasaran permukaan bertambah selepas prarawatan semburan pasir tetapi berkurang selepas menjalani proses salutan. Daripada
keputusan ini, ia menunjukkan bahawa pra-rawatan semburan pasir mempengaruhi
tungsten karbida dari segi mikrostruktur, kadar jangka hayat, kekuatan dan kekasaran
permukaan.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
EXAMINERS APPROVAL DOCUMENT

ii

SUPERVISORS DECLARATION

iii

EXAMINERS DECLARATION

iv

STUDENTS DECLARATION

DEDICATION

vi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

vii

ABSTRACT

viii

ABSTRAK

ix

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES

xiii

LIST OF FIGURES

xiv

LIST OF SYMBOLS

xv

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

xvi

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1

Introduction

1.2

Problem Statement

1.3

Objectives

1.4

Scopes

CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1

Introduction

2.2

Cutting Tool Material

2.2.1
2.2.2

5
6

2.3

Aluminum Oxide
Tungsten Carbide

Surface Pre-treatment

2.3.1

Sandblasting as a Surface Pre-treatment

xi
2.4

Coating
2.4.1
2.4.2
2.4.3
2.4.4
2.4.4

Coating Technique
Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD)
Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD)
Coating Material
Diamond-like Carbon

7
8
8
11
13
13

CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY

3.1

Introduction

14

3.2

Cutting Tool Material

14

3.3

Surface Pre-treatment

15

3.4

Microstructure Characterization

16

3.5

Physical Vapor Deposition Coating

17

3.6

Machining

18

3.7

Material Characterization

19

3.7.1
3.7.2
3.7.3

19
19
20

Wear Evaluation Performance

Vickers Hardness
Surface Roughness

CHAPTER 4

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

4.1

Introduction

22

4.2

Surface Morphology of Tungsten Carbide Cutting Tool

22

4.2.1

22

4.3

SEM Micrograph of Tungsten Carbide Cutting

Tool
4.2.2 Backscattered Diagram of Tungsten Carbide
Cutting Tool Surface Using SEM
Effect of Sandblasting Pre-Treatment To Machining

24
24

Performance
4.4

Hardness

26

4.5

Surface Roughness

28

4.6

Work Piece Chips

29

xii
CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1

Conclusion

31

5.2

Recommendations

31

REFERENCES

APPENDIX
A

Gantt Chart

xiii
LIST OF TABLES

Table No.

Page

2.1

Advantages of tungsten carbide.

2.2

Advantages and disadvantages of CVD technique

10

2.3

Advantages and disadvantages of PVD technique

12

3.1

Cutting tool details

14

3.2

Sandblasting parameter

16

3.3

PVD coating parameter

17

3.4

Parameter of turning operation

18

4.1

Wear length of cutting tools for different cutting speed by using 25

2.0x magnification of Optical Measurement Microscope

4.2

Average Vickers Hardness (HV) of different type cutting tools

27

4.3

Surface roughness of different cutting tools

28

4.4

Type of work piece chips

30

xiv
LIST OF FIGURES

Figure No.

Page

2.1

Chemical Vapor Deposition schematic diagram

10

2.2

Physical Vapor Deposition schematic diagram

12

3.1

Methodology flowchart

15

3.2

Equipment and materials used in sandblasting pre-treatment

16

process
3.3

Scanning electron microscopy model EVO50 02-73

17

3.4

Shun Chuan turning machine model ERL13370

18

3.5

Optical measurement microscope model QUADRA-CHECK 19

300 Series

3.6

Vickers hardness model MATSUZAWA MMT-X7

20

3.7

Surface roughness tester model Mitutoyo SV- 614

21

4.1

SEM micrograph of tungsten carbide surfaces at 1000x 23

magnificent

4.2

Backscattered diagram of tungsten carbide cutting tool using 24

SEM at 100x magnificent

4.3

Effect of surface pre-treatment to flank wear

26

4.4

Effect of surface pre-treatment to hardness

27

4.5

Effect of surface pre-treatment to surface roughness

29

xv
LIST OF SYMBOLS

Cutting speed

Tn

Tool life

Constant

VB

Flank wear

Area

Diameter

Force

Alpha Vickers indenter

Pressure load

xvi
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

SEM

Scanning electron microscope

PVD

Physical vapor deposition

CVD

Chemical vapor deposition

HV

Hardness Vickers

DLC

Diamond like carbon

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1

INTRODUCTION

Tungsten carbide, or commonly known simply as carbide is a widely used

cutting tool in machining processes. As carbides are used during machining, gradual
wear on the flank and the rake faces of the cutting tool causes carbides to fail. Coating
promotes longer tool life to tungsten carbide cutting tools because coatings increase
cutting tools hardness. Sandblasting pre-treatment has to be done to tungsten carbide
before coating process to ease adhesion of coating to cutting tools.
According to Parker (2003), cutting tool is the part of a machine tool which
comes into contact with and removes material from the work piece. Meanwhile, coating
can be defined as a thin film bonded to a base material. The capability for increased
productivity is the most important advantage of using coated carbide inserts. With no
loss of tool life they can be operated at higher cutting speed than uncoated inserts.
Longer tool life can be obtained when the tools are operated at the same speed (Geng,
2004).
According to Destefani (2002), PVD or physical vapor deposition is the major
process used in the production of cutting tool coatings. PVD emerged as a viable
process for applying hard coatings to cutting tools. In PVD, the coating is deposited in
a vacuum chamber. The coating reacts with gas in the chamber and is deposited onto the
substrate. Because PVD is a low-pressure process, the coating atoms and molecules
undergo relatively few collisions on their way to the substrate. PVD is therefore a lineof-sight process that requires moving fixtures to ensure uniform coating thickness.

2
1.2

PROBLEM STATEMENT

The tool of a turning machine plays a great role in turning process. Poor tool will
tend to wear faster and has shorter time of usage. Changing the tool repeatedly due to
tool wear and short tool life should be prevented manufacturing process as it will affect
productivity of a company. A more severe case is when sudden failures of cutting tools
happens and lead to loss of productivity, rejection of parts and consequential economic
losses. To increase the cutting tools life, improvements need to be done using surface
pre-treatment and coating process. One of surface pre-treatment technique is
sandblasting. Sandblasting pre-treatment is used to remove cobalt layer on cutting tool
to improve coating adhesion. Coating is used to solve short tool life problem. Applying
coating to tungsten carbide cutting tool can increase hardness, increase wear resistant,
and also can increase tools life. Therefore, the current work focused on improving the
wear resistance of tungsten carbide cutting tool in machining with titanium work piece
in turning operation. The main objective of this study is to increase the carbide cutting
tools life.

1.3

OBJECTIVES

There were three main objectives to be fulfilled in this research which had been
listed as follow:

(i)

To evaluate the effect of wear resistance of coated and uncoated tungsten carbide
cutting tools after turning process

(ii)

To determine the effect of sandblasting pretreatment onto tungsten carbides

surface morphology prior to coating

(iii)

To distinguish the effect of coated and uncoated tungsten carbide cutting tools
onto machining performance by using different cutting speed.

3
1.4

SCOPES

These are the scopes of this research:

(i)

Tungsten carbide (WC) will be used as substrate material or cutting tools.

(ii)

Silicon carbide (SiC) will be used during sandblasting pretreatment process to

the cutting tools surface.

(iii)

Coat the cutting tools with diamond-like carbon by PVD technique.

(iv)

Machining cutting tool to titanium work piece by using turning operation.

(v)

Evaluate the wear rate resistant of the cutting tool, hardness and surface
roughness.

CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1

INTRODUCTION

Tool wear of cutting tool has been a problem to the manufacturing industry since
the day they were introduced. Tool wear decreases tools life and increase the force in
cutting causing a lack of consistency in material removal. There are abundance of
factors that contributes to the wear of cutting tool such as cutting tool properties,
properties of work piece, cutting speed during machining, cutting feed, depth of cut and
also machine rigidity. Usually, cutting tools need to undergo certain improvement to
extend tools life. Examples of cutting tool improvement are sandblasting pre-treatment
and addition of coating layers to the cutting tool. During machining, cutting tools are
exposed to high temperature, tool surface, work piece and presence of foreign particles
that can change the shape of the cutting tool. The changes can affect the tribological
properties and increase the risk associated with tribological processes on machine tool
elements. Therefore, the chapter will provide an overview of cutting tool and discuss
wear of cutting tool, pre-treatment and coating material.

2.2

CUTTING TOOL MATERIAL

Cutting tools must be made of a material with higher hardness than the material
which is need to be cut, and the tool must be able to withstand the heat generated during
the metal cutting process. According to George (2009), a cutting tool must have a few
characteristics in order to produce good quality and economical parts such as high
hardness that will allow cutting tools strength to be maintained at elevated

5
temperatures, toughness so that tools do not chip or fracture during cutting operations
and wear resistance characteristic which means the attainment of acceptable tool life
before tools need to be replaced.

2.2.1 Aluminum Oxide (Al2O3)

According to Williams and Javad (2006), ceramic material is an inorganic,
nonmetallic material that consists of metal and nonmetals bonded together by ionic
and/or covalent bonds. The chemical compositions of ceramic materials vary
considerably, from simple compounds to mixtures of many complex phases bonded
together. Williams and Javad (2006) further stated that ceramic materials are normally
hard and brittle with low toughness and ductility. Ceramics are also good electrical and
thermal insulator because of the absence of conduction electrons. They also normally
have relatively high melting temperatures and high chemical stability in many hostile
environments due to the stability of their strong bonds. Generally, ceramic materials
used in engineering related applications can be divided into two groups which are the
traditional ceramic materials such as glasses, bricks and tiles used in construction
industries, and the engineering ceramic materials such as aluminum oxides, silicon
carbide and silicon nitride.
Besides, according to Junid (2012), aluminum oxide is an advanced ceramic
widely used as a cutting tool in turning operations. High hardness and chemical
inertness of alumina makes it a good material for high-speed machining and high
removal rate machining. William (2006) stated that alumina was originally developed
for refractory tubing and high-purity crucible for high temperature use and now has
wide application. A classic example of the application of alumina is in spark insulator
material. Aluminum oxide is commonly doped with magnesium oxide, cold pressed,
and sintered.

The alumina has many advantages to be used in high speed cutting. The
following advantages were:

(i)

High melting point- Aluminum oxide has high melting point up to 2072C.

6
(ii)

High hardness- High hardness that varies from 1400-2000 HV depending on

grade.

(iii)

Wear resistance and chemical inertness.

2.2.2 Tungsten Carbide

George (2006) stated that tungsten carbide was discovered in 1983 during a
search for method of making artificial diamonds. Charging sugar and tungsten carbide,
tungsten sub-carbide was melted in an arc furnace. The carbonized sugar reduced the
oxide and carburized the tungsten. It was recorded that the tungsten carbide was
extremely hard, approaching the hardness of diamond and exceeding that of sapphire. It
was further recorded that tungsten carbide was more than 16 times as heavy as water,
and the material proved to be extremely brittle and limited its industrial use. Hence,
tungsten carbide still has several advantages which are listed in table 2.1.

Table 2.1: Advantages of tungsten carbide.

Property
Melting point
Hardness (Vickers Hardness)
Electrical Resistivity

Property value
2870C
2242 HV
2107 Ohmm
Source: Pierson (1992)

2.3

SURFACE PRE-TREATMENT

Surface treatments, like shot peening (sandblasting), heat treatments,

cementation (carbonitrutation), or ion implantation, could not be considered as coatings,
even if they provide comparable surface effects. To be considered a coating, it must
always an over layer, smaller in thickness than the substrate that has been covered. If
the coating thickness is comparable with that of the substrate, it is referred either as a
metal couple (cladded), layered material, or another appropriate name, but not as
coating (Totten, 2004).

7
2.3.1 Sandblasting as a surface pre-treatment

Sandblasting is commonly known as shot peening. Shot peening is a process

intended to improve the fatigue strength of its work piece (Bralla, 2007).

Totten (2004) stated that sandblasting is a cold-working method accomplished

by pelting the surface of a metal part with round metallic shot thrown at a high velocity.
Each shot acts as a tiny peen hammer, making a small dent in the surface of the metal
and stretching the surface radially as it hits. The impact of the shot causes a plastic flow
of the surface grains, extending to a depth depending upon the kinetic energy and
impinging angle of impact of the shot and the physical properties of the surface such as
hardness and toughness. Kinetic energy transfer is the controlling process of shot
peening.

Totten (2004) further stated that experimental work indicates that the surface
compressive stress is several times greater than the tensile stress in the interior of the
section, so that when working stresses are applied that would ordinarily impose a tensile
stress on the surface layer , the residual compressive stress will counteract them. Fatigue
failures, which cause about 90% of the mechanical catastrophic failures in metal parts
and structures, largely start at surface cracks that grow under tensile stresses; thus shot
peening generally results in considerably greater fatigue strength.

2.4

COATING
Destefani (2002) stated that Coatings have become such an indispensable part

of most cutting tool grades that 70-75% of all carbides tools are now coated, according
to one expert. Coatings improve wear resistance, they increase tool life, and they
broaden the application range of a given grade, and enable use at higher speeds. By
improving performance, coatings are helping cutting tool manufacturers respond to
changing work piece materials and process requirement. Todays machining operations
can involve high-speed machining, dry machining, use of more near-net-shape work
pieces, tighter surface finish and dimensional tolerances, and increased use of untended
machining, which places a premium on edge security and tool reliability.

8
Coated cutting tool give many benefits in machining productivity. By improving
performance of coatings, the cutting tool manufacturers respond to changing work piece
materials and process requirements better. In many cases coatings are applied to
improve surface properties of the coated tool. Some advantages of coated cutting tool
are:

(i)

Increased wear resistance

(ii)

Longer tool life

(iii)

Increased high hardness

(iv)

Better coefficients of friction

(v)

Better result of adhesion

(vi)

Higher corrosion resistance

(vii)

Better scratch resistance

2.4.1 Coating technique

According to Destefani (2002), improved wear resistance resulted from coating

materials high hardness, chemical inertness, and low coefficient of friction. In uncoated
tools, increased wear resistance obtained by increasing the amount of hard carbides in
the material. The processes used to add coatings to cut tool-regardless of whether the
substrate is HSS, cemented carbide, cermet, ceramic, or super hard material are
chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and physical vapor deposition (PVD). The processes
selected depend on tool material composition and geometry, and on the intended
application of tool.

2.4.2 Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD)

Destefani (2002) stated that CVD was used to produce the first cutting tool
coatings in the late 1960 and early 1970. In the CVD process, the tools are heated in a
sealed reactor to about 1000C (1830F). Gaseous hydrogen and volatile compounds
supply the metallic and nonmetallic constituents of the coating materials, which include
titanium carbide (TiC), titanium nitride (TiN), titanium carbonitride (TiCN), and
aluminum oxide (Al2O3). CVD is also used to produce diamond thin films for graphite

9
and nonferrous cutting applications. Thickness of CVD coatings can range from 5 to 20
m.

Cracking can be a factor in the roughness sometimes found in CVD coatings.

One relatively new approach to dealing with coating roughness is post-coat mechanical
polishing. The resulting smooth coating has increased lubricity, and may adhere better
to the substrate than untreated coatings, which are more subject to flaking.

The high process temperature used in CVD ensures good bonding between the
substrate and the coating material. It also can cause embrittlement and other
microstructural changes in the substrate material, reducing tool life and increasing the
potential for catastrophic failure. In response to this, the medium-temperature CVD
(MTCVD) process was developed in the 1980 to allow coating deposition at
temperatures from 700 to 900C (1300 - 1650F). The reduced processing temperature
and faster deposition of MTCVD work to maintain toughness of the substrate material,
and reduce thermally induced cracking in the coating.

Coatings produced using MTCVD processes are tougher than traditional CVD
coatings. This increased toughness results in minimal chipping and improved surface
finishes when machining stainless steels and other materials that are prone to causing
built-up edge on the cutting tool. Cutting tools with MTCVD coatings originally were
applied for interrupted cuts. More recently, MTCVD-coated tools are being used in
turning and other continuous cutting operations. The schematic diagram of CVD
process is as shown in figure 2.1.

10

Figure 2.1: Chemical Vapor Deposition schematic diagram

Source: Destefani (2002)

There are a few advantages and disadvantages of CVD coating technique as

listed in table 2.2.

Table 2.2: Advantages and disadvantages of CVD technique

Advantage
Disadvantage
i.
Uniform distribution over large
i. Mostly involve safety and
areas
contamination
ii.
No compositional gradients over
ii.
Hydrates and carbonyls are
substrates
poisonous (especially arsene)
iii. No need to break vacuum for
iii. Metal organics are pyrophoric
source changes
(ignite in contact with air)
iv.
More selective area deposition
iv.
High cost for compound with
because of higher activation energy
sufficient purity
for reaction with foreign
substances
Source: Destefani (2002)

11
2.4.3 Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD)
Destefani (2002) stated that PVD is the other major process used to produce
cutting tool coatings. PVD emerged in 1980 as a viable process for applying hard
coatings to cemented carbide tools.

In PVD, the coating is deposited in a vacuum. The metal species of the coating,
obtained via evaporation or sputtering, reacts with a gaseous species (nitrogen or
ammonia, for example) in the chamber and is deposited onto the substrate. Because
PVD is a low-pressure process, the coating atoms and molecules undergo relatively few
collisions on their way to the substrate. PVD is therefore a line-of-sight process that
requires moving fixtures to ensure uniform coating thickness.

The chief difference between PVD and CVD is the former's relatively low
processing temperature of PVD which is 500C (930F). This lower processing
temperature resulted in multiple benefits for PVD coatings. For example, the grain
structure of the coating is very fine. The result is a very smooth, bright coating with a
low coefficient of friction. In addition, PVD coatings are essentially free of the thermal
cracks that are common in CVD coatings.

Another advantage of the PVD process is the ability to coat tools with sharp
edges and complex chip breaker geometries. CVD-coated tools require a hone, because
the high-temperature process results in formation of eta phase in the carbide substrate.
Eta-phase formation is especially prevalent on sharp edges. In PVD, processing
temperatures are low enough that eta-phase formation is eliminated, allowing deposition
of PVD coatings on sharp edges. Ability to coat sharp edges is also enhanced by PVD
coatings' relative thinness versus CVD.

Coating microstructures depend on processing conditions. Adjusting process

parameters in PVD allows modification from a columnar to an equiaxed structure. PVD
coatings also have very high built-in compressive stresses that help them resist crack
initiation and propagation. Minimizing crack formation and propagation can help
prevent premature tool failure, improving tool edge security. This is especially

12
important in, for example, untended machining operations. Figure 2.2 shows the
schematic diagram of PVD process.

Figure 2.2: Physical Vapor Deposition schematic diagram

Source: Destefani (2002)

There are a few advantages and disadvantages of PVD coating technique as

listed in table 2.3.

Table 2.3: Advantages and disadvantages of PVD technique

Advantages
i.
Fine grain structure of coating
ii.
Low coefficient of friction
iii. Free of thermal cracks
iv.
Ability to coat tools with sharp
edges and complex chipbreaker
geometry
v.
High built-in compressive stresses
that help in resist crack initiation
and propagation.
vi.
Prevents premature tool failure
vii.
Improve tool edge security

Disadvantages
i.
Lower adhesion compared to CVD
coatings
ii.
It is a line of sight technique
meaning that it is extremely
difficult to coat undercuts and
similar surface features
iii. High capital cost
iv.
Some processes operate at high
vacuums and temperatures
requiring skilled operators
v.
Processes requiring large amounts
of heat require appropriate cooling
systems
vi.
The rate of coating deposition is
usually quite slow

Source: Destefani (2002)

13
2.4.4 Coating material

Scott (2005) stated that the correct surface treatment on small round tools can
increase overall tool life, decrease cycle time and help better surface finishes.
Unfortunately, choosing the correct coating for production application can be a
confusing task. Each coating has advantages and disadvantages in the machining
process. Choosing the wrong coating can lead to less tool life than an uncoated tool and
sometimes result in more problems than solutions.

2.4.5 Diamond-like carbon (DLC)

DLC coatings are often used to prevent excellent tribological properties. It is

very resistant to abrasive and adhesive wear making it suitable for use in applications
that experience extreme contact pressure, both in rolling and sliding contact. DLC is
often used to prevent wear on cutting tools, including lathe cutting tool. Applications of
DLC typically utilize the ability of the material to reduce abrasive wear. It can be
applied to metal and ceramics with excellent adhesion. The coating provides industrial
users with the benefits of hardness, low coefficient of friction, and resistance to
chemicals. The other advantages of DLC are listed such as follow:

(i)

Wear and abrasion resistant

(ii)

Low friction

(iii)

High hardness

(iv)

Anti-reflective

(v)

Corrosion resistance

CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY

3.1

INTRODUCTION

Chapter 3 discussed methodology of the project in general, with a specific focus

on improvement of the tungsten carbide cutting tool by sandblasting surface pretreatment and coating for machining process. Tungsten carbide cutting tool was
subjected to sandblasting pre-treatment for 30 seconds. Then, it was deposited with
coating process. The physical vapor deposition coating technique was used with
diamond-like carbon. Next, the cutting tool was tested by turning machine in order to
determine the wear resistant. Other material characterization also was performed such as
microstructure study, Vickers hardness test and surface roughness test.

3.2

CUTTING TOOL MATERIAL

In this research, the material selected for the cutting tool is tungsten carbide
(WC) or carbide. The raw materials were provided by CERATIZIT model TCGT
16T304FN-27 H10T tungsten carbide turning cutting tools. The details of the cutting
tool were described in Table 3.1 while figure 3.1 shows a methodology flow chart used
for the current work.

Table 3.1: Cutting tool details

Detail
Standard designation of insert
Basic shape
Cutting edge length

Description
TCGT 16T304FN-27
Triangle
16.5