The engineblock production lines need high speed tapping with tungsten carbide taps. In the tapping process, the machining precision and the tool life of taps are directly influenced by tapping forces. And the parameter optimization of tap structures is also correlated with the variation of tapping forces. Therefore, the study of tapping forces is necessary in developing new style taps. Several experiments about some novel carbide taps are performed on a vertical machining center by a Kistler dynamometer system in blind tapping both gray cast iron and ductile cast iron. And the variations of tapping forces are analyzed in tapping-in and tapping-out periods. It indicates that cutting forces hardly vary with the tap wear in tapping cast iron. Contrarily, tapping forces are closely correlated with the holding method. Besides, it also depends on the helix angle, the flute numbers and the plasticity of the work material to some extent.
To evaluate the new designed cutting tools for high-efficiency milling of the hardened die steel SKD11,surface integrities of millers with different geometric structures are analyzed, considering the surface roughness, micrograph of chips, surface microhardness, residual stress and metallurgical texture of the surface layer. The in fluences of geometric characteristics of different cutting tools and their wear characteristics on the surface integrity are studied. Results show that the milling tool with rake angle; 5 of the hardened diesteel. The generation of saw-tooth chips is depressed when a reasonable positive rake angle is selected. And the compressive residual stress is induced on the machined surface in milling the hardened die steel. The occurrence of surface softening is postponed by increasing the clearance angle and reducing the tool flank wear.
