Tool wear in ultra-precision diamond cutting of non-ferrous metals with a round-nose tool

Tool wear causes the loss of the original profile accuracy of the cutting edge and degrades the form accuracy of machined surfaces. The purpose of this research is to clarify the tool-wear mechanism and its effect on machining accuracy in ultra-precision diamond cutting with a round-nose tool. Controlled cutting tests of Al 6061 were performed on a two-axis, ultra-precision turning machine. Single-crystal diamond tools were used in the experiment. The tool-wear pattern was studied based on the observation of the wear zone using a scanning electron microscope. The topographic characteristics of the chips were examined and the effect of the micro-cutting geometry on the tool wear was investigated theoretically and experimentally. The mutual effects of crystallographic dependence of wear resistance of diamonds and the change in the cutting velocity during machining are believed to be the main reasons causing uneven wear along the cutting edge. Measures for reducing the effect of tool wear are also discussed.