Characteristics of self-propelled rotary tools in machining high-performance materials

Machining of high-performance materials hitherto remains a major challenge in production. Cutting some of those materials by the self-propelled rotary tool is evaluated in this paper with respect to tool wear and tool life. Experimental results show that the rotary tool, characterized by the tangential motion of the circular cutting edge, enhances tool life far longer than the conventional one in turning a metal-matrix composite. Crater wear hardly occurs in rotary cutting of a titanium alloy and a high manganese steel. The inclination angle of the rotary tool is found to be an important factor which controls the relative motions between the tool and the work (chip), and hence tool wear.