Page 40 - FDMAsia SepOct 2025

38 TECHNOLOGY SEP/OCT 2025 FDM ASIA | www.fdmasia.com

commons.wikimedia material removal can occur. This can result in surfaces with
As worn tools lose their original cutting properties, uneven

nicks, scratches, or other defects that reduce the part’s
aesthetic appeal and functionality.

Such surface irregularities may necessitate additional
finishing processes, thereby increasing production time and
costs. Tool wear also reduces machining precision, which can
result in dimensional distortion of parts.
When cutting tools lose their sharpness, uncontrolled
material distortion can occur, affecting dimensional tolerances
and the quality of the final product.
More frequent tool changes are associated with higher
costs for purchasing and maintaining tool inventory. Increased

wear and tear can force production rates to slow down in
order to maintain high-quality machining, thereby reducing
overall plant productivity.
Alternatively, they may be introduced during the production In conclusion, regular checks of tool condition and proper
stage as regulators and hardeners. The presence of these maintenance are key to maintaining high-quality machining.
elements in the analysed blade edge may therefore indicate Early detection of wear enables tool replacement to be
that, in addition to the predominant wear mechanism through planned. The following conclusions can be drawn from the

abrasion, there is also an adhesion phenomenon. tests carried out:
Cobalt (occurring in tools) is susceptible to oxidation, 1. It has been demonstrated that tools with submicron WC
particularly at the high temperatures that can be reached grain sizes of 0.4 and 0.8 µm exhibit the longest tool life.
during milling processes. Oxidation can weaken the mechanical 2. The deterioration of the carbide cutting tools milling the
properties of cobalt tools, reducing their wear resistance, for chipboard was attributed to the preferential WC grain
example. dropout, which was followed by fracture and chipping. The
The formation of oxides acts as a defect in the material underlying wear mechanisms were identified as abrasive
structure and contributes to premature tool wear. However, it wear and adhesive wear.
should be noted that the presence of oxygen in EDS analysis 3. The impact of WC grain size on tool wear is a significant

does not always clearly indicate the presence of oxidised consideration, with nanometric particles having a notable
phases; natural oxidation of tool surfaces during storage can effect on tool durability due to their tendency to cause
also cause oxygen to be detected. spalling and fracture.
4. It is important to continue developing WC-Co tools with
Summary nanometric WC grain sizes. Consider modifying the
The impact of tool wear on machining quality is a key chemical composition or optimising the cutting-edge
consideration in machining processes, since the condition of geometry to achieve improved strength and cutting

the tools directly affects both the end result and production performance. FDM
efficiency. ENQUIRY NO. 5101