Prod. Eng. Res. Devel. (2007) 1:5156 DOI 10.

1007/s11740-007-0029-5

TOOLING

Tool length inuence on wear behaviour of twisted carbide drills

Eberhard Abele Andreas Ellermeier Julien Hohenstein Matthias Tschannerl

Received: 9 February 2007 / Accepted: 9 March 2007 / Published online: 26 May 2007 German Academic Society for Production Engineering (WGP) 2007

Abstract The drilling of holes with an l/d-ratio greater than 12 is responsible for a signicant amount of the overall production time and therefore has a high impact on the productivity. In the past gun drills were used for those higher l/d-ratios, providing good surface qualities and straight holes. However the productivity of gun drills compared to solid carbide twist drills is very low, due to the limited feed rate. With the use of solid carbide twist drills with l/d-ratios up to 40 and overall lengths up to 350 mm production time can be reduced extensively. Solid carbide twist drills can furthermore be used on standard machine tools. Former drilling tests show that the tool life of these drilling tools decreases abundantly clear with an increasing tool length. This paper presents the inuence of the drill length and the dynamic behaviour of the drilling process on the wear behaviour of the drilling tool. Keywords Production process Drilling Wear

1 Introduction The demands on production engineering have signicantly increased during the last years as a consequence of intensied international competition. The growing pressure to improve the productivity by reducing production time and

E. Abele (&) A. Ellermeier J. Hohenstein M. Tschannerl Institute of Production Management, Technology and Machine Tools, Darmstadt Technical University, Darmstadt, Germany e-mail: abele@ptw.tu-darmstadt.de

costs requires a steady optimization of production engineering [1, 2]. Continuous advancements in the eld of cutting materials and their further processing often made their contribution to process improvements and led to a reduction of the primary processing time [3, 4]. A user survey of 145 companies from the machining sectors shows that among the different machining processes, drilling belongs to the most important ones and takes the biggest part in machining time [5]. The survey also comes to the conclusion that beside the high demand on productivity and process security in short-hole machining, holes with l/d-ratio greater than ve hold substantial economic potential, especially in the automotive industry. If we take a closer look at the drilling operations that are branch-related to the automotive industry, we notice that hardly 7% of the drilling operations are in the range of an l/d-ratio greater than 12. Altogether these drilling operations account for about a quarter of the primary processing time (see Fig. 1). The relatively large share of the primary processing time in deep hole drilling is mainly caused by todays application of gun drills and HSS tools. Gun drills possess advantageous straightness with reference to the surface quality of the borehole. Nonetheless gun drills quickly reach their stability limits due to their construction and geometry. A major improvement of cutting parameters and thus productivity is only possible using solid carbide twist drills. Solid carbide twist drills are state-of-the-art in the production for l/d-ratios up to 5. Those are the reasons for the trend towards longer drilling tools with l/d-ratios up to 40. The advantage is the application of these tools in standard machine tools, using the usual coolant equipment. In contrast to the existing technologies, these tools have to full high productivity requirements and clearly reduce machining time.

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cylinder boring 7% reaming 11% cylinder boring 14% milling 30% reaming 2% threading 6%

Prod. Eng. Res. Devel. (2007) 1:5156

milling 37%

threading 16%

deep hole drilling l/d> 12 7%

drilling l/d< 12 29%

Deep hole drilling l/d> 12 28%

drilling l/d< 12 13%

Fig. 1 Number of machining processes (left); share of the machining processes of the complete machining time (right)

400

300

VB / VBmax [m]

200

In case of gun drills the phenomenon of torsional chatter is well known [5, 6]. Still the investigated solid carbide twist drills do not show this distinctive chatter behaviour. Nevertheless this article presents that the examined carbide tools with a high l/d-ratio were exited in their torsional natural frequency and that the level of this excitation has a negative impact on tool life. It can be conrmed that the torsional vibration is linked with an axial vibration of the tool, which leads to a higher load on the tool and accordingly to higher wear on the cutting edge. The drilling process with all inuencing factors is highly complex. That is why investigations often consider only some aspects in order to make a statement of the drilling process. Hence this article, unlike most of the existing investigations, does not describe the dynamic inuences of a carbide tool on the tool life through a theoretical model, but presents an experimental methodology to determine the best process parameters for the drilling operation.

100

3 Torsional vibrations of the drilling tool

0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Tool life [m]

400

300

200 cutting edge 1 VBmax [m] 100 cutting edge 1 VB [m] cutting edge 2 VBmax [m] cutting edge 2 VB [m] 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Tool life [m]

Fig. 2 Wear over tool life; 6 mm solid carbide twist drills; vc = 70 m/min, f = 0.15 mm; l/d = 5 (top), l/d = 30 (bottom)

2 Inuence of tool length on tool life In many cases experiences with these newly developed drilling tools show a signicant correlation between the tool length and the reachable tool life. An example from former tests is given in Fig. 2. In both test setups the boundary conditions like the technology parameters, the tool material and coating, the machine tool and the tool chuck are kept constant, only varying the tool length. It can be assumed that these differences in tool life are based on the tool geometry and hence on the changing dynamic behaviour of the tool during the drilling process. The exural and torsional stiffness explicitly decreases with growing tool length. Accordingly, the natural frequencies for bending and torsion decline.

Himburg, Stone and Bayly [68] describe an elongation of a twisted drilling tool through the torsional load of the drilling processlike a de-drilling of the tool. Concurrently the displacement of the drilling tip towards the feed direction leads to a greater chip thickness and accordingly to a higher torsional load. This de-drillingprocess continues until forces and torque are high enough to cut the thicker chip. Thenceforward the cutting forces and torque decrease again and the drilling tool shortens to its original length. This mechanism links the torsional natural frequency to the axial movement, which shows a regenerative behaviour because of the wavelike surface on the bottom of the borehole. The accurate determination of the torsional natural frequency of the drilling tool is complex because of the complicated and twisted prole. Therefore an analysis can only be done analytically by approximation or numerically by using the nite element analysis method [9]. Himburg, for example gives an approximation for the rst torsional natural frequency for HSS twisted drilling tools: ftorsional natural frequeny 4.4 ::: 5.9 105 1 Hz l 1

VB / VBmax [m]

with l = tool length [mm]. A principal verication of these regenerative linked natural frequencies adduces Bayly et al. [6]. The authors use a HSS twist drill with an overhang length of 107 mm for their tests and mounted a ring at the shaft of the tool. That way it was easier to measure the vibration, because the torsional natural frequency could be strongly reduced

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53

through the extra mass that has been added to the tool. In the described case the measured torsional natural frequency was about 350 Hz. The modal analysis was easy to accomplish due to the suitable surface for incitation and for measuring with capacitive sensors. Bayly et al. could prove the existence of those vibrations in principle. Whether the vibration behaviour of the tool, when using an unmodied drilling tool with comparably high torsional natural frequency at common spindle speeds, shows an impact on tool life still has to be examined.

4 Experimental setup Several test runs are accomplished. Cutting speed and feed rate are varied and at each combination of these cutting parameters multiple test runs are made so that the reproducibility can be proven. For each feed rate (0.15, 0.20, 0.25 mm) cutting speed is increased in steps of 10 from 50 m/min up to the maximum of 110 m/min while the feed rate remains constant. The experiments are accomplished with solid carbide twist drills with a diameter of 6 mm and three l/d-ratios of 10, 20 and 30. The depth of the boreholes is set to 60 mm for all three tools length. The depth of the pilot holes is set to 12 mm. Internal coolant supply with a pressure of 30 bar is used in all tests. Additionally, one tool life test was added using minimal quantity lubrication (MQL) through the spindle using vc = 100 m/min and f = 0.20. Figure 3 shows the experimental setup. The machine tool used for the experimental investigations, with a maximum spindle speed of 6,000 rpm, is a four axes horizontal machining centre from Heller (MCP-H 250). The interface used in this conguration is a hydraulic expansion tool holder (HSK-A 100). For every tool the static run-out at the cutting edges was determined to be lower than 10 lm. The

workpiece material used is cast iron CGI 450 with a shape of a platter measuring 240 40 120 mm. For clamping, the platter is directly mounted on the load cell that is xed on the machine tool table. The major problem with the experimental setup was the natural frequency of the system load cell/workpiece. The setup had to be optimized in order to reach higher stiffness and low total mass at the same time. With an experimental modal analysis the rst natural frequency of the used test setup was measured at 1,543 Hz. With the added mass from the test workpiece this result corresponds to the given rst natural frequency of the used Kistler dynamometer (type 9255A) which is at 1,700 Hz. Therefore the force signals were ltered by a 1.5 kHz anti aliasing lter and also analysed up to the maximum of 1.5 kHz. In addition to the force sensor a triaxial acceleration sensor from Bruel and Kjaer (type 4326 A) was mounted symmetrically at the back of the workpiece. The bores, where the acceleration signal was analysed, were positioned upon each other in the middle of the workpiece to get a comparable dynamic performance in all compared measurements. With this sensor the acceleration signals are analysed in the frequency range up to 10 kHz.

5 Evaluation of the measurement results For the interpretation of the measured values the following analysing methods were used. The static part of the force signals FX, FY and FZ (used low-pass lter: 33 Hz) were considered in the time domain. Also the root-mean-square (rms) value of the force and acceleration signal was calculated to compare the vibration characteristic and intensity of the analysed system. The rms-value is calculated as follows: v u ZT u u1 rms t s2 t dt: T
0

Besides the analysis in the time domain, the force and acceleration signals are also evaluated in the frequency domain. Therefore the Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT) is used. The result of the FFT is a representation of the oscillation amplitude over the related frequency: Xk
N X j1

xjxN

j1k1

Fig. 3 Experimental setup

with xN e2pi=N The recorded raw data is corrected in drift and offset before the above described methods are applied.

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54 Fig. 4 Feed force over cutting speed; vc = 50-110 m/min, f = 0.15-0.25 mm, 6 mm, l/d: 10 (top, left), 20 (top, right), 30 (bottom)
Avaraged feed force (10xd)
1600 1400 1200

Prod. Eng. Res. Devel. (2007) 1:5156

Avaraged feed force (20xd)
1600 1400 1200

Fzav [N]

1000 800 600 400 200 0 50 60 70 80 90 f=0.15mm f=0.20mm f=0.25mm 100 110

Fzav [N]

1000 800 600 400 200 0 50 60 70 80 90 f=0.15mm f=0.20mm f=0.25mm 100 110

vc [m/min]

vc [m/min]

Avaraged feed force (30xd)

1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 50 60 70 80 90 f=0.15mm f=0.20mm f=0.25mm 100 110

Fzav [N]

vc [m/min]

Table 1 First torsional natural frequency

6 mm, 10 x d 6 mm, 20 x d 6 mm, 30 x d

8.775 Hz

4.605 Hz

3.123 Hz

6 Inuence of cutting parameters on feed force Figure 4 shows the average quasi-static feed force over cutting speed for the rst three boreholes of every parameter set for the used drilling tools. It can be seen that with a rising length of the drilling tool the level of the feed force also rises. The 20 d and the 30 d drilling tools show a similar behaviour over the investigated cutting speed range. While the feed force rises almost linear with the feed rate, the feed force over the cutting speed reaches a distinct maximum at approximately vc = 70 m/min, respectively, vc = 80 m/min in all considered feed rates. It is assumed that this superelevation of the feed force results from an additional superposed axial force. As this phenomenon can be seen in all feed rates at the same cutting speed, it is very likely that the excitation of the complete system is effected by the spindle speed and the location of the maximum depends on the tool geometry and especially on the length of the drilling tool. Ronde [10] studied the behaviour of the dynamic system for high speed machining operations and points out that the rst and relevant torsional natural frequency comes from the tool itself. For this reason it must be possible to

determine the rst natural torsional frequency by analysing the systems dynamic behaviour. To corroborate the belief of a superposed axial force through a link-up of a torsional vibration at the torsional natural frequency of the drilling tool, the rst torsional natural frequency of the drilling tool was evaluated. Therefore a nite element analysis of the exact designed drilling tools was performed. The results are given in Table 1. With this information the acceleration signal in the feed direction is analysed in the above mentioned frequency range. The results are exemplarily illustrated in Fig. 5 for the 20 d and 30 d drilling tool. The process parameters are given with vc = 70 m/min and f = 0.25 mm for the 20 d drilling tool and with vc = 80 m/min and f = 0.25 mm for the 30 d drilling tool. The high frequency response within a range of 5% around the characteristic torsional natural frequency leads to the assumption that the drilling tool is activated in this frequency. These high amplitudes in the frequency response in the range of the torsional natural frequency of the drilling tool exist in all acceleration signals in feed direction. Since there is no natural frequency of the test setup in that frequency range the high amplitudes indicate the existence of torsional vibration of the drilling tool during the drilling process. This assumption can be conrmed by looking at the power spectral density of the acceleration signals where the frequencies around the torsional natural frequency dominate.

7 Relative tool life prediction through the frequency response from the axial acceleration signal To make sure that the quality of the recorded acceleration signal is sufcient regarding the intensity of the vibration

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Qualitative rms-curves of feed force and acceleration signal in feed direction
1.00 0.80

55

rms [-]

0.60 0.40 0.20 0.00 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

rms Fz rms Az

Time [s]

Fig. 6 rms-Curves of feed force and acceleration in feed direction; 6 mm, l/d = 20, vc = 80 m/min, f = 0.20 mm

Averaged rms-value in feed direction in a +/- 5% range around the first torsional natural frequency (l/d=20)
90

80

rms AZav(+/-5%) [g]

70

60

50

40

f=0.15mm f=0.20mm f=0.25mm

50 60 70

2 1
80 90 100 110

30

vc [m/min]

Fig. 7 Averaged rms-value of acceleration signal in feed direction in a 5% range around the rst torsional natural frequency; l/d = 20

Fig. 5 FFT and power spectral density of the acceleration signal, feed direction; 20 d (top) and 30 d (bottom)

the rms-value of the force signal in feed direction and the rms-value of the acceleration signal in the same direction are compared in the frequency range up to 1.5 kHz. Figure 6 shows the rms-value for a 20 d drilling tool over the drilling time. The marked analogy of the two rmscurves could be found in nearly all tests. Because of the very similar characteristic of the two rms-curves it is possible to use the acceleration signal for the analysis of the vibration behaviour. As the rms-curves are nearly constant over the drilling time an average rms-value for every borehole is calculated for accelerations. For every parameter set the rms-values are then averaged over the rst three boreholes. The acceleration signals are evaluated only in a range of 5%

around the rst torsional natural frequency that has been calculated through the FE-analysis. The results for the 20 d drilling tools are given in Fig. 7. After this the tool life for the 20 d drilling tools for the parameter sets marked with 1 and 2 in Fig. 7 and an additional test with minimal quantity lubrication (MQL) was determined in the same test setup. The stop criterion of the tool life tests was a maximum width of wear land of VBmax = 300 lm. The results of the tool life tests over the rms-value of the acceleration signals are presented in Fig. 8. Due to the limited number of drilling tools only the here shown tool life test could be performed. Nevertheless for the accomplished tests a correlation between the vibration intensity of the process and the reachable tool life of the 20 d drilling tools can be conrmed.

8 Conclusion The presented analysis of the vibration characteristics of solid carbide twist drills with a high l/d-ratio shows a clear impact of linked axial- and torsional vibrations on the feed force level. The existence of torsional vibrations could be

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vc=100m/min f=0,20mm vf=1.060mm/min MQL (minimal quantity lubrication) vc=100m/min f=0,15mm vf=795mm/min IC (internal cooling) vc=80m/min f=0,20mm vf=849mm/min IC vc=100m/min f=0,20mm vf=1.060mm/min IC vc=80m/min f=0,15mm vf=637mm/min IC

Prod. Eng. Res. Devel. (2007) 1:5156

Rms-value (averaged over first 3 boreholes)

120 100

References
1. Konig W, Klocke F (2002) Fertigungsverfahrenband 1, Dre hen, Frasen, Bohren, VDI-Verlag, Dusseldorf 2. Abele E et al (2004) High speed cuttingtechnological performance and hints to overcome. CIRP international conference High Performance Cutting (HPC), Aachen 3. Schulz H (2001) Scientic fundamentals of HSC, Carl Hanser Verlag, Munchen 4. Tonshoff HK et al (1998) Prozesssichere Trockenbearbeitung mit TiAlN - beschichteten Werkzeugen. VDI-Z Special Werkzeuge 5. Tschannerl M et al (2003) Noch viel ungenutztes Potenzial beim Bohren. Werkstatt und Betrieb 136:5557 6. Bayly P et al (2001) Theory of torsional chatter in twist drills: model, stability analysis and compositions to test. J Manuf Sci Eng ASME 11:552561 7. Himburg T (1988) Die Dynamik des Bohrvorgangs als Grundlage eines Uberwachungskonzeptes. Dissertation Technische Univer sitat Hamburg-Harburg 8. Stone E, Campbell SA (2004) Stability and bifurcation analysis of a nonlinear DDE model for drilling. J Nonlinear Sci 14(1):27 57 9. Weinert K, Kersting M (2005) Konzeption eines adaptronischen Werkzeughalters. wt Werkstattstechnik online, 95 H. 1/2, pp 68 72 10. Ronde U (1994) Untersuchungen von Systemen zum Spannen von Zylinderschaftwerkzeugen unter besonderer Berucksichti gung ihrer Eignung fur die Hochgeschwindigkeitsbearbeitung. Dissertation Technische Hochschule Darmstadt, Carl Hanser Verlag, Munchen, Wien

rms [g]

80 60 40 20 0 0 50 100 150 200

Tool life [number of holes]

Fig. 8 Tool life over rms-value (acceleration), 6 mm, l/d = 20

proven by the analysis of the frequency response, using an acceleration sensor. By taking only the dynamic part of the forceand the acceleration signal into consideration a good correlation between the rms-values over the drilling time could be shown. Through evaluation of an rms-value of the acceleration signal in the frequency range around the rst natural torsional frequency of the tool the drilling process could be rated concerning useful parameter sets for better tool life.

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