We have many helpful articles over at HSMAdvisor Help portal. But beacuse of that very reason not many website visitors actually read any of them.
It is a pitty that most advanced users will never actually visit the help section, because they already know how to operate HSMAdvisor.

And this particular one, I believe, is too useful (I just updated it to include more info) for my customers and other machinists to keep it burried in some help section that few ever read.

So here you go:

This is a short Application Guide for use of different cutting tool materials and coatings.

Tool Materials and Coatings are listed from least preferable to most preferable.
(IE: line "Recommended tool materials: HSS, HSCobalt, Carbide, Diamond" means that HSS is the least preferable material and Diamond is the Most preferable one)

The following guidelines are mostly for milling operations, but, with some reservations, can be applied for turning and drilling as well.

Tool Material

• Aluminum and other non-ferrous metals:
  Recommended tool materials: HSS, HSCobalt, Carbide, Diamond
  Recommended number of flutes:2 or 3
  Recommended coolant: Flood Coolant for all tool materials, reduce cutting depth and speed for less than ideal cooling situations
• Abrasive non-ferrous and non-metall materials:
  Recommended tool materials: HSS, HSCobalt, Carbide, Diamond
  Recommended number of flutes:2 or 3
  Recommended coolant: Flood Coolant for all tool materials, reduce cutting depth and speed for less than ideal cooling situations
• Mild and Tool Steels
  Recommended tool materials:HSS, HSCobalt, Carbide
  Recommended number of flutes: 4 for regular machining; 4+ for finishing and HSM machining   
  Recommended coolant for HSS and HSCObalt tooling: Flood, reduce cutting depth and speed for less than ideal coolant situations
  Recommended coolant for Carbide tooling: Dry or mist airblast to clear the chips
• Nikel and Cobalt Ferrous super alloys
  Recommended tool materials:HSCobalt, Carbide, Ceramics
  Recommended number of flutes: 3-4 for regular machining; 4+ for finishing and HSM machining   
  Recommended coolant for HSCobalt and Carbide: High pressure, high volume flood coolant
  Recommended coolant for Ceramics: None
• Titanium alloys
  Recommended tool materials: HSCobalt, Carbide
  Recommended number of flutes: 3-4 for regular machining; 4+ for finishing and HSM machining   
  Recommended coolant: High pressure, high volume flood coolant

Tool Coating

Coating improves wear and temperature resistance of the cutting edge.
General rules of thumb:

• Aluminum and other non-abrasive non-ferrous metals
  Recommended coatings:No Coating (bright finish), TiCN, ZrN, TiB
  Recommended coolant: Flood, reduce cutting depth and speed for less than ideal coolant situations
• Abrasive non-ferrous and non-metall materials:
  Recommended coatings: TiAlN,AlTiN, AlCrN, Diamond
  Recommended coolant: Flood, reduce cutting depth and speed for less than ideal coolant situations
• Mild and tool Steels
  Recommended coatings:TiN, TiCN, TiAlN, AlTiN, AlCrN
  Recommended coolant for HSS and HSCObalt tooling: Flood, reduce cutting depth and speed for less than ideal coolant situations
  Recommended coolant for Carbide tooling: Dry or mist airblast to clear the chips
• Nikel and Cobalt Ferrous super alloys
  Recommended coatings:TiN, TiCN, TiAlN, AlTiN, AlCrN
  Recommended coolant: High pressure, high volume flood coolant
• Titanium alloys
  Recommended coatings:No coating (bright finish); Super hard AlCrN, AlTiN, TiAlN nano coatings
  Recommended coolant: High pressure, high volume flood coolant

Do you think this information is not complete or you need more?

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Tags:coating tool material