Machinability study of Aermet 100

Machinability of Aermet 100, an ultrahigh strength alloy developed for Navy by Carpenter Technology as a candidate material for aircraft landing gear application, was studied by performing single-point turning tests. Coated and uncoated carbides, ceramic, and cermet cutting tool inserts of a square geometry (SNG 432 type) were used. Round stock workpieces were tested in the as - received, unaged condition and without using any cutting fluid. The turning tests for each tool material were conducted by (i) first establishing the cutting conditions that would allow the continued generation of broken chips during a given cutting test, (ii) measuring intermittently the flank wear as a function of cutting time under such established cutting conditions for discontinuous broken chips, and (iii) determining the tool life using the criteria specified in the ISO Standard 3685: 1993(E). Cutting tools except some uncoated carbide and ceramic were used with a mechanical chip breaker to induce chip breakage and avoid the generation of long continuous chips. The results obtained include the optimal cutting conditions for discontinuous chips, tool wear - cutting time curves, and records of tool life and tool failure mode for each tool material. From the measured tool life and cutting conditions, the amount of material removed by each cutting material was calculated. Coated carbide with CVD tri-phase coating showed the longest tool life that exceeded the twelve minute criterion and removed the highest amount of material per tool. Other tools failed by cutting edge chipping and their lives were shorter