Improved cutting of tungsten carbide after flaking of diamond coating

The use of tungsten carbide for components of stamping and forming tools increases the efficiency of the manufacturing process and improves product quality. The limiting factor for the application of this material is the time and cost intensive machinability. To improve process understanding and facilitate tool design for machining tungsten carbide with defined cutting edge, orthogonal cutting tests with diamond coated carbide tools were carried out in this study. The occurrence and influence of a flaking of coating on the rake face were evaluated by monitoring the cutting force, cutting normal force, temperature and chip formation. Observed was an improved machinability caused by a self-sharpening effect of the tool due to the flaking of the coating.