Comparison on various machinability aspects between mixed and reinforced ceramics when machining hardened steels

The hard turning process has an attracting interest in different industrial sectors for finishing operations of hard materials. However, it still presents disadvantages with respect to process capability and reliability. This paper describes a comparison of surface roughness, specific cutting force and flank wear between mixed ceramic CC650 (Al2O3 (70%) + TiC (30%)) and reinforced ceramic CC670 (Al2O3 (75%) + SiC (25%)) cutting tools when machining in dry hard turning of AISI 4140, treated at 52 HRC using the response surface methodology (RSM). A mathematical prediction model of the machining responses has been developed in terms of cutting speed, feed rate and cutting time parameters. Experimental observations show that the surface roughness obtained with the mixed ceramic insert significantly improved when compared with reinforced ceramic insert with a ratio of 1.44. In the same way, insert CC650 has better performance compared to reinforced ceramic inserts CC670, in terms of the specific cutting force and flank wear