# Tool Wear and Surface Finish in AISI 304 Stainless Steel Dry Turning with Cermet Inserts

## TL;DR

This study examines how cutting speed and feed rate affect tool wear and surface finish when dry turning AISI 304 stainless steel with cermet inserts.

## Contribution

The study provides empirical insights into the viability of dry turning with uncoated cermet inserts for AISI 304 stainless steel.

## Key findings

- Higher cutting speeds worsen surface finish and reduce tool life.
- Abrasive wear and adhesion dominate at lower speeds, while chipping and diffusion occur at higher speeds.
- Dry turning with cermet inserts is viable but requires effective chip evacuation methods like MQL.

## Abstract

The present study investigates the surface integrity and flank wear of uncoated cermet inserts during dry turning of AISI 304 stainless steel. Three-dimensional metrology techniques were employed to assess both surface roughness and cutting-tool flank wear. Cutting speed and feed rate were the process parameters varied in the experiments. Both parameters exhibited a significant influence on the final surface quality. Specifically, increasing the cutting speed resulted in a deterioration of the surface finish under the evaluated conditions. Considering an average flank wear (VBB) of 0.1 mm as the tool life criterion, tool lives of 15 min and 9 min were achieved at cutting speeds of 120 m/min (lowest level) and 150 m/min (highest level), respectively. At lower cutting speeds, abrasive wear and adhesion were the predominant wear mechanisms, whereas chipping and diffusion became more pronounced at the higher cutting speed. The dry turning of AISI 304 stainless steel with uncoated cermet inserts proved viable in terms of sustainability and surface integrity; however, effective chip evacuation remains a critical concern. The use of compressed air or minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) may help mitigate this issue.