Investigation on the Thermal Effects of WC-Co Turning Inserts Deposited by Additive Manufacturing of Titanium Alloy Powder

Abstract

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) has been one of the most useful processes in the manufacturing field. It has significant advantages in terms of the benefits of feature freedom and material waste reduction. These processes commonly use a heat source to fabricate a 3D shape through melting of a metal powder and subsequent solidification. The directed energy deposition method can stack the desired amount of material in the required location. This study addresses the thermal effects of a WC-Co cutting tool insert deposited by AM of titanium alloy powder in the turning process. First, the optimal deposition conditions were selected by conducting preliminary experiments. Second, titanium alloy powder was deposited on the turning insert under the selected conditions. Finally, verification evaluation was carried out in the turning process. The thermal effects of the turning insert with the titanium alloy were compared with an ordinary cutting tool insert. The average temperature of the cutting tool was reduced by 15% during operation.

Keywords

• additive manufacturing
• directed energy deposition
• cutting tools
• turning process
• titanium alloy