EXPERIMENTAL OBSERVATIONS OF TOOL WEAR IN MULTILAYER

COATED INSERTS
Jorge A. Olortegui-Yume and Patrick Y. Kwon
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
ABSTRACT
This paper deals with understanding the
evolution of tool wear of multilayer coated
inserts using Confocal Laser Scanning
Microscopy (CLSM). Steady-state turning
experiments were carried out on 1045 steel bars
with commercially available multi-layer coated
inserts consisting of TiN /Al2O3 /TiCN deposited
on a C6 carbide substrate provided by
Kennametal, Inc.. Topographical images of the
crater wear as well as orthogonal sections of the
flank and crater wears as functions of machining
time are obtained. A humped island of TiN
coating material next to a growing crater of Al2O3
and steel traces were found. The maximum
crater depth value and location respect to the
edges of the insert are gathered for all
machining times. The maximum crater depth
location was observed to move across the rake
face as machining time increased. These
unexpected features of crater wear are
suspected to have their origin in the competition
of the abrasive and dissolution mechanisms,
and the difference in wear-resistant properties
between the TiN and Al2O3 coatings. Validations
of the confocal results are also performed using
the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and
the Atomic force microscope (AFM).

1. INTRODUCTI
ON
Up to date many efforts have been made to
understand the nature of tool wear, however, it
continues to have unsolved problems. Solutions
to these problems would bring a great
economical impact in machining industry.
However, a thorough understanding of the
micro-mechanisms involved in tool wear and a
meaningful method to measure it must precede
such solutions. So far, the traditional methods
used to measure tool wear have included
reflected light interference microscopy, scanning
electron microscopy, and stereo microscopy [1,
2]. However, due to the limitation on the depth of
field, the difficulty while obtaining and
interpreting images and the high cost involved,
these methods have proven to be burdensome
or behind the pinhole, therefore, few of these
rays make their way through the pinhole. As a
consequence, the image is formed mostly by
rays coming from the region of the sample

and time-consuming.[3,4] .Traditional methods

of surface measurement have also involved
stylus profilometers. However, this method has a
number of disadvantages such as the limitations
on the detail they can resolve, the slow scanning
rate, and the potential damage to the surface
investigated. Also, severe difficulties arise when
3D information of surfaces is required [4]
The main advantages of Confocal
laser
scanning microscopy (CLSM) include the fast
and convenient means of obtaining surface
features and the determination and analysis of
the true surface topography. These capabilities
provide the unique characteristics of the CLSM
such as the versatile depth of field, the minimal
sample preparation, the adequate image quality
for engineering purposes, and the savings in
costs relative to SEM technology [4]. Even
though CLSM has been established as a
powerful tool in biological and medical sciences
since the early 80s, only in the past few years
some comparative studies on the performance
of traditional methods versus CLSM have been
carried out in wear measurement, tribology,
fractography, and biomedical sciences [3, 4, 5,
6]. A superior performance of CLSM surface
profiles compared to those of a profilometer was
always found. Further, CLSM measurements
were in good agreement with Atomic Force
Microscope (AFM) values.

2. BACKGROU
ND
The confocal principle
The power of the CLSM resides in its ability to
get an image only from the light in the focal
plane. This means that all the out-of-focus light
is blocked from the final image allowing a
sharper image compared to the conventional
light microscope. This feature is achieved by
positioning a pinhole in the light path. Light that
is exclusively coming from the focal plane is
focused at a point right in the position of the
pinhole (Figure 1). The pinhole is positioned so
that it passes light from the focal plane to a
detector. Light rays originally coming from outof-focus regions have a focal point either in front
located in the focal plane. This process is the
main concept of optical section. An optical
section can be better understood as an
electronical slice of the sample coinciding with

the focal plane level. The advantage is that

an actual sectioning is not necessary to
perform, the sample remains intact and
repetition of the process can be done. Once

light of the region not in focus has been

discarded in the final image, resolution and
contrast are drastically improved respect to the
conventional light microscopes.

Light Source
(LASER)

MIRROR
DICHROIC
(Beam splitter)

PHOTODETECTOR
(PHOTOMULTIPLIE

COLLECTING
LENS
P
M
T

OBJECTIVE

DETECTOR
PINHOLE
(Confocal

SCREEN

FOCAL PLANE or
OPTICAL
IN-FOCUS LIGHT RAYS
FOCUS

SPECIME

S T A G E

Out-of focus region

OUT-OF-FOCUS LIGHT
RAYS

Figure 1 The confocal principle

The CLSM can perform operations such as the
gathering of a series of optical slices called a zstack which could be overlaid to give sharp 2D
image. Also, the 3D reconstruction feature
allocates for the acquisition of a height value (z)
that identifies the surface position and stores it a
matrix , z(x,y), that can be manilpulated to obtain
different types of rendering including surface
topography, isolines (contour lines), and
roughness parameters .

3.1 Machinin
g tests
Dry turning tests were carried out in 8033
Clausing/Colchester lathe with the control for
infinitely variable speed. The experiments are
carried out at the constant feed of 0.3175 mm/
rev, depth of cut of 1.905 mm and constant
cutting speed of 250 m/min (820 sfpm). These
conditions are used based on the following
criteria: the range of optimal speeds provided by
the insert manufacturers, the need for obtaining

as much measurable wear as possible in the

shortest time, and the torque limits of the lathe
while obtaining minimal chattering, good surface
finishing and optimal area size for imaging. After
few trial runs the approach angle was set to 5
degrees and the toolholder shank was machined
o
to provide a back rake angle of 2 . These angles
set a compromise between minimal chattering
and proximity to orthogonal cutting conditions.
Machining times were interrupted at: 60 s, 120 s,
180 s, 240 s, 300 s, 480 s and 720 s. in order to
obtain a cutting edge at each of these times.
Thus, allowing for the wear evolution to be
observed as function of time. Steel rounded bars
of 1045 steel, 6 diameter and 18 length, were
used as work material.
3.2 Inserts and Work
material
The square inserts are provided by Kennametal,
Inc., Latrobe, PA , having a SNMA 190612 ISO
designation The multi-layer insert is designated
as a KC9315 grade insert, which corresponded
to a top layer made of TiN, an intermediate layer
of Al2O3, and a bottom layer of TiCN deposited

on a C6 cemented carbide substrate. TiN

thickness is found to be 2.5 m, Al2O3 7.1 m,
and TiCN 7.8 m.
3.3 Confocal
microscopy
data
acquisition

A Zeiss LSM 210 confocal microscope is used in

reflection mode to obtain 2D images and 3D
data sets z(x,y) matrices of all the corners with
the different machining times. Then a Zeisss
LSM 310 software was used to manipulate the

3 EXPERIMENTAL
PROCEDURE

z(x,y) matrices for measurement , analysis and

topographical
rendering.
Finally
Adobe
photoshop 7.0 is employed to post-processs the
images and give the final pictures.
3.4.SEM data acquisition
A JEOL JSM-6400 Scanning microscope is used
to obtain BSE images and X-ray spectroscopy
chemical analysis are performed in all the
corners to identify the evolution of the wear
associated to the limits of the two first layers
(TiN and Al2O3). In addition, four SE (secondary
electrons) images are merged to validate the
shape of the crater for the corner with 300s
machining time.
3.5 AFM data acquisition
This is the main validation for the depth values
obtained with the confocal microscope.
Nanoscope III Scanning probe microscope
manufactured by Digital Instruments Inc. was
used to perform this part.
3.

behavior is the result of the competition between

the dissolution and diffusion mechanisms, which
are greatly influenced by the temperature [8].
Regarding flank wear, phi-z sections are
obtained in the locations correspondent to the
maximum crater depth for all machining times.
Although gradual flank wear is observed, no
clear trend is observed when measuring the
slopes in different parts of the flank profiles. The
secondary electrons image corroborated the
shape of the worn tool face obtained in the
topography view of the confocal pictures. A good
agreement with the AFM depth values was
found during the validation.
Inland side
limit of the
crater
Edge side
limit of the
crater

2D VIEW

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

The confocal pictures reveal an unexpected

hump starting approximately at 190 m from the
edge, a growing crater next to the hump and a
thin depression that run along with the edge-side
limit of the crater (Figures 2 (a) and (b)). The
BSE images and X-ray spectroscopy showed
the hump composed of TiN (bright zone), the
growing crater composed of Al2O3 (black zone)
and some traces of steel (very bright zones). It
turned out that the thin depression was
coinciding with a strip of Al2O3 running along
with the edge limit of the crater (Figure 3). In
addition, the maximum crater depth locations
and its values are obtained out of the z(x,y)
confocal matrices (Figure 4). An increasing
trend of the maximum crater depth with
machining time and constant tendency between
300 and 720s is observed (Figure 5). This
location moved across the tool face as the
machining process continues (Figure 6),
suggesting that the peak temperature location,
which occurs in the vicinity of maximum crater
depth, is also moving [7]. It is believed that this

700m

HUMP

190 m
Trailing edge
Edge side limit
of the crater
Inland side limit
of the crater
Depression

Trailing edge

33D TOPOGRAPHICAL IMAGE

(Left view orientation)

Figure 2 (a) Confocal 2D image of crater

wear
, (b) Confocal 3D image of crater wear

4. CONCLUSIONS
The usefulness of confocal microscopy to obtain
reliable surface profiles and topography was
confirmed. SEM and AFM microscopes aid was
relevant as validation tools for the CLSM
information. Also, the optical properties of steel
are found to have a distorting influence in the
results of the topography rendering. The
particular behavior of coated tools wear was
also verify [9, 10] and in particular the wear of
multi-layered coated has unexpected features
in the tool face and maximum crater depth
behavior. However, extended work and
analysis are currently being carried out to

interpret these
mechanisms.

results

in

terms

of

wear

Al2O3
exposed in
the crater
TiN hump

Steel
attached to
the TiN

coating

Al2
O3

Figure 3 BSE image of crater wear

[5] Hanlon, D.N., Todd, I., Peekstok, E.,

Rainforth, W.M., Van der Zwaag, S., The
application of laser scanning confocal
microscopy to tribological research,
Wear 251, pp. 1159-1168, 2001
[6] Wessel, S., Pagel, S., Ritter, M., Hohenberg,
H., and Wepf, R., Topographic
measurements of real structures in reflection
confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM),
Microscope Microanalysis, 9, suppl. 3, p. 162,
2003.
[7] Childs,T.H.C., Maekawa , K. ,Obikawa,
T.,and Yamane, Y., Metal Machining, Arnold
Publishers, pp.76-132,
[8] Kim, W.S., A new methodology for predictive
tool wear, PhD dissertation, Michigan State
University, p. 15, 2000
[9] Chubb, J.P. and Billingham, J., Coated
cutting tools- A study of wear mechanisms in
high speed machining, Wear, 61, pp. 283293
[10] Kountanya, R.K., Predictive Tool wear of
coated tools systems, M.S. Thesis,
Michigan
State University, 1998
Maxim um depth location as
a function of m achining tim
e
140
0
120
0

100
0
800

600

Figure 4 Maximum crater depth

location

400
200
0

200

400

600

800

M a c h i n i n g t i m e ( se c )

REFERENCES
Figure 5 Maximum depth locations
Maximum crater depth as a function
of machining time
Maximum crater depth (microns)

[1] Devillez, A. , Lesko, S. and Mozer, W.,

Cutting tool crater wear measurement with
white-light interferometry, Wear, 256, pp. 56
65, 2004
[2] Dawson, T.J. and Kurfess, T.I., Wear trends
of PCBN cutting tools in hard turning,
http://www.hardinge.com/hardium/PDF/Dawso
n_NAMRC_2002.pdf
[3] Gee, M.G. and McCormick, N.J., The
application of confocal scanning microscopy
to the examination of ceramic wear surfaces,
Journal of Applied Physics, 25 , A230-A235,
1992
[4] Anamalay, R.V., Kirk, T.B. and Panzera, D.,
Numerical descriptors for the analysis of
wear surfaces using laser scanning confocal
microscopy, Wear, 181-183, pp. 771-776,
1995

2.5
2
1.5

DEPTH

1
0.5
0
0

200

400

600

800

Machining time (sec)

Figure 6 Evolution of crater depth