Experimental investigation of the effect of carbide cutting tool coating on surface quality, wear, and chip morphology in the milling process of 6061 aluminum alloy and 304 stainless steel

In this study, the effects of end milling tools with different coating types on surface roughness, tool wear and chip formation during milling of 304 stainless steel and 6061 aluminum alloy materials were investigated. In experimental studies, tool geometry and cutting parameters were kept constant, only the coating types of the cutting inserts were changed. In this way, the effect of the coating material on the processing performance was evaluated. After milling operations, surface roughness measurements were performed on the samples and the obtained surface qualities were compared. At the same time, the amount of wear on the tools used was analyzed by microscopic imaging methods. The types and amounts of wear varied significantly depending on the coating type. In addition, the chips formed during processing were collected and their morphological structures were examined, and chip types and surface interactions were interpreted. The obtained findings show that the tool coating has a decisive effect not only on tool life but also on workpiece surface quality and chip formation mechanism. It has been observed that especially hard coatings extend tool life, but in some cases they can negatively affect surface quality. In this context, it is concluded that the selection of tool coating should be made carefully on an application-specific basis.