Influence of tool micro-texturing and AlCrN coating on cutting performance in dry turning AISI 304

The primary cause of tool failure in rough cutting is the severe tool-chip friction brought on by chip adhesion and abrasive wear. To address the problem, the influence of combinations of micro-textures and AlCrN coating, and the sequence of their combinations on tool surface characteristics and cutting performance in dry cutting AISI 304 were investigated. The results of wettability and indentation tests indicate the micro-textures reduce the contact angle of the tool surface (by 13.26%) and increase the contact area between micro-textures and the coating, resulting in a better adhesive strength (grade HF3) for the first micro-textured and then AlCrN-coated tool (TCT). The results of cutting experiments demonstrate that the TCT’s cutting performance is improved as the cutting speed increases between 50 and 141 m/min, with the highest reductions in main cutting force and radial cutting force reaching 27% and 38% at 141 m/min. The TCT’s micro-textures reduce tool-chip contact area, while the intact AlCrN coating film decreases chip adhesion and improves the wear resistance of cutting tools. This study is expected to be applied to further improve the tool performance under dry and rough cutting conditions.