Laser based cutting edge preparation of binderless PcBN tools

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Berend Denkena
• Subject Area: Metal-Cutting and Abrasive Manufacturing Engineering
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 515941253

Constantly increasing demands on the performance of cutting tools lead to the development of new high-performance cutting materials. By synthesizing polycrystalline cubic boron nitride without a binder phase, this cutting material can be used for machining of difficult-to-machine materials due to its high hardness and toughness combined with high chemical resistance. While the high hardness of binderless PcBN leads to a significant increase in performance during machining, this property currently causes significant additional costs in production. The use of mechanically bonded processes to generate the cutting edge geometry of tools made from binderless PcBN leads to high costs due to the high tool wear in the mechanical machining steps used. In order to exploit the full performance potential of tools made of binderless PcBN, the targeted generation of the cutting edge microgeometry is essential. Laser ablation enables wear-free material removal with high flexibility in terms of the geometry to be generated. In this way, more cost-effective tools could be produced from binderless PcBN while increasing performance. Through completed basic research projects at IFW, knowledge exists to increase the performance of binder-containing PcBN through laser based cutting edge micro preparation. The present knowledge is related to laser material processing of PcBN. However, the knowledge transfer from laser preparation of conventional PcBN grades to binderless PcBN has not been done yet and thus offers the potential to significantly increase the performance of binderless PcBN.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants (Transfer Project)
• Application Partner: DMG MORI Ultrasonic Lasertec GmbH; LASERTEC; SUMITOMO ELECTRIC Hartmetall GmbH