Innovative chip breaker machining in carbide turning inserts via abrasive water jet milling.

Chip breakers play a crucial role in the turning processes. Typically, chip breakers are manufactured through form pressing before the sintering of carbide inserts. However, in certain situations where specific geometries are required or during the prototyping phase, the insert is sintered without a chip breaker and subsequently machined to incorporate the desired chip breaker features. This study introduces an innovative method for machining chip breakers on carbide turning inserts using Abrasive Water Jet Milling (AWJM). The AWJM process involves moving the Abrasive Water Jet (AWJ) along a 2D tool path with defined process parameters, allowing precise control over the depth of processing. A chip breaker was machined, demonstrating the efficiency of the method. Its shape resembles a slot with a Gaussian profile. The influence of the AWJM process parameters on dimensional accuracy and surface quality was investigated. Practical testing in a turning process demonstrated that utilizing AWJM significantly enhanced chip form, proving the efficiency of the proposed method.