Stochastic Distribution of Wear of Carbide Tools during Machining Operation of Welded Flank Joints

The increasing awareness of wear of carbide tools during machining operation has created doubts about the ability of this tool material to withstand stress and strain induced by the machining process. Manufacturers are beginning to question their dependence on carbide tools, seeing that they no longer meet their expected designed life.The stochastic point model was used to determine the rate of wear distribution of the carbide tool material and the reliability of wear resistance of the cutting tool. At predetermined times, cutting speeds and feed rates during machining operations were used to generate the machining parameters that were used to calculate for the welded flankjoint wear and the reliability of tool resistance to wear. It was found that at 850 rpm, a 15146 mm3 volume of metal was removed creating a flank wear distribution and corresponding reliability. As the flank wear reached 0.3 mm, machining operation stopped. This process lasted for 540 seconds. The corresponding reliability of the tool ability to resist wear was 0.06. It was concluded that the critical flank wear is at 0.3 mm. From the analysis, the wear distribution of the welded flank joint is not normal. Thisstudy has successfully analyzed the wear distribution pattern of carbide tool material during the machining process.Keywords: cutting speed, feed rate, machining time, tool life, reliability, wear