Evaluation of cutter insert number for tool life and surface roughness during milling of prismatic parts

In this study, effect of cutter insert number, cutting speed and feed rate on toollife, removed chip volume and surface roughness was aimed to investigate whenAISI D3 cold work tool steel was machined with coated carbide tools on a CNCvertical machining center. Tests were performed in two steps. In the first step,effects of the chip removing parameters and cutter tool insert numbers on toollife and removed chip volume were investigated in machinability tests using ofhigh cutting speeds. Tool life has been calculated taking into account of flankwear (VB). In addition, wear behaviors were tried to determine using electronscanning microscope (SEM). In the second step, Ra surface roughness wasmeasured. Ideal cutting speeds was used at surface roughness tests. As a resultof tests, decreasing of tool life was determined when cutter insert number andfeed rate increased. On the other hand, chip volume increased with increasingfeed rate and number of inserts and it decreased with increasing cutting speeds.As a result of SEM investigations, flank wear was seen as dominant wear wastype on cutter tool.Surface roughness values increased with increasing cutter insert number andfeed rate but an important effect of cutting speed wasn?t observed. The mosteffective parameters on surface roughness are respectively cutter insertnumber, feed rate and cutting speed.Key Words : Milling, Tool wear, Tool life, Removed chip volume,Surface roughness, Number of inserts