Optimum Ti-C:H coatings on tungsten carbide inserts for milling applications

The use of Tix%-C:H coated cutting tools in a specific machining operation improves wear resistance and results in a good machined surface roughness of 7075T651 aluminum alloy. Better performance is attained by optimizing the adhesion between the coating and the substrate, and providing a suitable coating thickness, a high micro-hardness and reduced friction within the cutting zone. This study shows that optimized Tix%-C:H-coated tools possess great potential for milling operations compared to cermet and uncoated tools. The results indicate that Tix%-C:H coatings possess excellent wear resistance and produce good machined surface roughness under dry and cutting-fluid milling processes. Furthermore, the excellent cutting performance for Tix%-C:H coated tools under the dry process can replace cermet-coated tool operations under the cutting-fluid process.