Comparative Analysis of Cutting Forces and Tool Wear on Nickel-Titanium Austenite Finished of 33 °C and 100 °C: A Dry Cutting Approach

NiTi alloys have increasingly gained pivotal relevance due to their unique mechanical behavior, pseudoelasticity and shape memory effect (SME). However, high cutting force and rapid tool wear are the main difficulties in machining NiTi alloy due to their poor machinability. This study aims to comparatively examine the cutting force and tool wear between NiTi alloy with austenite finish (AF) of 33 and 100 °C under dry cutting condition. A CNC turning machine along with carbide insert as cutting tool was used to perform the cutting experiments. Throughout the machining process, the cutting parameters which includes the cutting speed was varied from 100 to 200 m/min while the depth of cut and feed rate were maintained constant. The main cutting forces were calculated with the help of dynamometer, the average tool wear was measured using a microscope and the hardness of the alloy was measured using Vickers hardness tester. The results show that NiTi alloy with austenite finish of 100 °C exhibited higher cutting force and tool wear compared to NiTi alloy with austenite finish 33 °C, which was attributed to the hardness of the alloy. Hence, NiTi alloy with austenite finish 33 °C is better suited for dry cutting application due to its lower cutting force and moderate tool wear.