MACHINING ADVANCED

TITANIUM ALLOYS
Advantages of Difficult Ti Alloys

Lightweight
Strong at elevated temperatures
Gamma Ti alloys are burn
resistant
Attractive to industry
 Aerospace
 Auto racing
Titanium Alloys
Alpha alloys (Ti, lightly alloyed alloys)
 Essentially pure titanium and relatively soft
 Chip control is a problem

Alpha/Beta alloys (Ti 6Al 4V)

 Very common
 More difficult to machine

Beta alloys (Ti 5553, Beta C, Ti 17)

 More heavily alloyed
 More difficult to machine due to hardness

Gamma alloys (TiAl)

 Of great recent interest
 Very difficult to machine
Classification of Ti alloys
4

Ti-5Al-5V-5Mo-3Cr
 5

Ti 5Al-2.5Sn

α-alloy
Characterized by
 Satisfactory strength
 Toughness
 Creep resistance
 Weldability

Suitable for cryogenic applications (no ductile-brittle

transition)
Tensile strength 890MPa (129,000 psi), hardness 34
HRC
Cannot be heat treated
 6

Ti-6Al-4V

α+β alloy
Typically
 Good fabricability
 High room temperature strength
 Moderate elevated temperature strength
Properties can be controlled by controlling the β phase
through heat treatment
 More than 20% β makes the alloy difficult to weld
Typical tensile strength 950 Mpa (138,000 psi)
 7

Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al

Near β alloy
β alloys are generally formable and have a high cycle
fatigue strength
Developed for airframe forging applications
Typical tensile strength 1310MPa (190,000 psi),
hardness 41HRC
Heat treatable to very high strengths
 8

Ti-5Al-5V-5Mo-3Cr

Near β alloy
Characteristics:
 Low elastic modulus
 Good hardenability by heat treatment
 Low heat transfer rate
 Tensile strength1240 MPa (180,000 psi)
 Good strength to weight ratio
 9

Ti-48Al-2Nb-2Cr

γ alloy
Excellent high temperature
properties
Burn resistant
Very low density
Typical tensile strength
1200 Mpa (175,000 psi)
Photo courtesy of ATI
Opportunities and Challenges of
Innovative Alloys

Material Machinability Rating Number of Inserts

Required
Typical Al alloy 140 0.7
B1112 100 1
Ductile iron, 4140 50 2
Ti 6Al 4V 35 3
IN 718 15 6.6
Ti 5553 12 8.3
Ti Al 5 20
SPECIFIC PROBLEMS
Opportunities and Challenges of
Beta and Gamma Ti Alloys
Low ductility
 Surface and sub-surface cracking
 Surface integrity compromised

Good high temperature strength

 High stress on cutting
 Tends to “crush” the cutting edge

Poor thermal conductivity

 Heat concentrated at cutting edge Photo courtesy of Aspinwall, et. al.
 Tends to promote deformation and University of Birmingham
cratering

Ti chemically reactive
 Cratering
 Danger of fire (alpha and some beta
alloys)
Difficulties in Machining
Titanium
Titanium alloys work harden – Notching

Titanium alloys have high heat capacity, low conductivity – heat

concentrated at cutting edge
 Deformation
 Wear
 Cratering
 Poor chip control

Titanium has a low modulus of elasticity - Part deflection

Titanium is reactive – built-up edge, cratering and fires

Chip Formation
Opportunities and Challenges of
Innovative Alloys
Traditional techniques
 High pressure coolant
 High lead angles in turning
 Micrograin carbide
 Milling techniques: high feed, trochoidal, and
optimized roughing

Non-traditional techniques
 Diamond tools
 Laser assisted machining
Opportunities and Challenges of
Innovative Alloys

Beta and Gamma alloys are difficult to machine

Special techniques are often used

 No matter what technique is used, tool life is poor

 Try to minimize amount of stock to be removed

 Try to minimize heat

HIGH PRESSURE
COOLANT
Opportunities and Challenges of
Innovative Ti Alloys

High pressure coolant may result in 10 fold

improvement in tool life compared to conventional
coolant

Flow rate may be more important than pressure

Running at too high pressure generates chips that

interrupt coolant flow
High Pressure Coolant Systems

A range of high
performance tools
designed to deliver coolant
directly at the insert cutting
zone.

Capable of delivering
coolant pressures ranging
from 15 – 4000 psi (1 to
275 bar)
 High pressure coolant systems
Conventional Coolant
Titanium 6AL4V
Low ‘Thermal Conductivity &
Low Modulus of Elasticity.

Thin, High Velocity

Chip

Small Concentrated
Heat Zone Cutting data 130 – 200 sfpm
Copyright© Seco Tools AB

Tool life is typically 20 minutes

Failure mode – typically flank wear
Feature - Long uncontrollable chips
High pressure coolant systems
Pressurised Coolant

Coolant pressure deflects

chips to break into smaller
more manageable pieces.
Pressurised jet of coolant,
directed at the cutting zone

Reduces temperature in cutting zone.

Allowing higher cutting speed and
longer tool life.
 High pressure coolant systems
Requirements (checklist):
At high pressure consider:

 Encapsulation of machine.
 Exhaust/Ventilation.
 Filtration of coolant (particles in coolant may “sand blast”
surface)
 Increased consumption of coolant (+10%).
 Larger pump means higher volume -> bigger coolant tank.
 High pressure coolant beam may deform thin-walled
component.
 High pressure coolant beam can be harmful to hands and
fingers.
 The higher the pressure the more complex the system.
 High pressure coolant systems

Benefits:

Elevated Cutting Data

= Increased Productivity
Extended Tool-Life
= Cost Reductions
= Reduced Programme stops for Insert
Indexing
Improved Chip Control
= Less Downtime due to Operator
Intervention
Improved Surface finish
 High pressure coolant systems

Titanium Alloy Ti 6Al-4V (typical values)

Cutting speed +50%

Cycle time reduction –50 %
Insert consumption – 60 %
Excellent chip control, fewer stops
(see picture)
Conventional High pressure
Efficient coolant delivery coolant
coolant
Improved surface finish
Customer Experience – Ti 6Al 4V
Conventional Coolant
Customer experience – blisk turning

 Cycle time reduction 50% +

 Carbide consumption -60% +
 Efficient coolant delivery +++
 Chip control +++
 Improved surface finish

Conventional

High pressure
coolant

Ti 6Al-4V
Customer Experience – Ti 6Al 4V
Total cycle conventional coolant application

18 * index
Setup 4%

Index INS 10%

17 * remove chips
Remove Chips 14%

Machining 72%
 Customer Experience – Ti 6Al 4V
 Total cycle for machining with Jetstream ToolingTM
 Total time saved 240 min
 Increased machine usage

5 * index Setup 11%

Index INS 7%
0 * remove chips
Remove Chips 0%

Machining 82%
 29

Lead Angles - Taking the Lead

Material = Inconel 625
 30

Lead Angles
 31

Lead Angles
Material = Inconel 625
 32

Some Guidelines
Use low cutting speeds.

Maintain high feed rates.

Temperature is not affected by feed rate as much as by speed,

and the highest feed rates consistent with good machining should
be used.

Use copious amounts of cutting fluid.

Use sharp tools and replace them at the first sign of wear. Tool
failure occurs quickly after a small initial amount of wear.

Never stop feeding while tool and work are in moving contact.
Allowing a tool to dwell in moving contact causes work hardening
and promotes smearing, galling, seizing and tool breakdown.
DIAMOND TOOLS
 34

Titanium machining with PCD

General conclusions
RCMW 3, uncoated, vc 150 m/min, f 0.2
Cooling of cutting edge is of outmost mm/rev, ap 0.5 mm, TIC 11 min, Ti 5553

importance!
Coolant pressure below 70 bar is not
enough.
Coatings improves tool life.
R-style inserts are definitely
preferable due to reduced heat
concentration in cutting edge. RCMW 3, uncoated, vc 150 m/min, f 0.3
mm/rev, ap 0.5 mm, TIC 7 min, Ti 5553
E- and F-style inserts are more
suitable in Ti 6-4, while S- and E-
style is more suitable for Ti 5-5-5-3.

2016-10-06
 35

Two cases
DNGA 432E10-L1-K Fine grained PCD

Vc 130 m/min Vc 170 m/min

11.12.2012
 36

Speed of 130 m/min (425 sfpm)

EDS analysis

11.12.2012
 37

Speed of 170 m/min (560 sfpm)

EDS analysis

11.12.2012
 38

Speed of 130 m/min (425 sfpm)

 Chemical wear
 Material build-up from
work piece on cutting
edge.

11.12.2012
 39

Speed of 130 m/min (425 sfpm)

 Light grey areas =

residues from work piece
material
 Chemical wear
 Metal build-up

11.12.2012 Stefan G Larsson

 40

Speed of 170 m/min (560 sfpm)

 Chemical wear
 Notch wear
 Heavy flank wear
 Material build-up from
work piece on cutting
edge.

11.12.2012 Stefan G Larsson

 41

Conclusions

 Increased cutting speed results in higher

temperatures in cutting zone. This leads to a
greater and faster chemical wear of the PCD since
Ti is a great carbide former.

 Reduction of generated heat in cutting zone is

necessary.

 Adding of an inert, or near inert, zone between

workpiece material and cutting edge could improve
tool life.

11.12.2012 Stefan G Larsson

 42

Titanium machining with coated PCD

Results
E10 edge prep. E10 edge prep.
Coarse crater wear More even wear
Big flank wear Less flank wear
RCMW 3, uncoated, vc 150 m/min, f 0.2 RCMW 3, TiAlN, vc 150 m/min, f 0.2
mm/rev, ap 0.5 mm, TIC 11 min, Ti 5553 mm/rev, ap 0.5 mm, TIC 11 min, Ti 5553

2016-10-06
 43

Cutting material

Fine grained PCD (2 microns) Insert geometry

 F - sharp  RPMW 43
 Coated
 Uncoated
 E10 - hone
Coarse grained PCD (25 microns) Ti 5553
 F - sharp
 Coated
 Uncoated
 E10 - hone
 44

Test strategy

A number of variations in speed, feed,

edge preparations, coating or not, and
so on, were tested.

The best combination was then

chosen to be run as a tool life test.
 45

Test 1

PCD05 F, uncoated
 4000 rpm - 502.6
m/min
 0.07 mm/tooth
 Average chip thickness
0.022 mm

 0.2 mm DOC
 Conventional milling
 TIC 30 min
 46

Test 2

PCD05 F, uncoated
 4000 rpm - 502.6
m/min
 0.14 mm/tooth
 Average chip thickness
0.044 mm

 0.2 mm DOC
 Conventional milling
 TIC 15 min
 47

Test 3

PCD05 F, uncoated
 4000 rpm - 502.6
m/min
 0.14 mm/tooth
 Average chip thickness
0.044 mm

 0.2 mm DOC
 Climb milling
 TIC 15 min
 48

Test 4

PCD05 E10,
uncoated
 4000 rpm - 502.6
m/min
 0.14 mm/tooth
 Average chip thickness
0.044 mm

 0.2 mm DOC
 Climb milling
 TIC 15 min
 49

Test 5

PCD05 F, coated
 4000 rpm - 502.6
m/min
 0.14 mm/tooth
 Average chip thickness
0.044 mm

 0.2 mm DOC
 Climb milling
 TIC 15 min
 50

Test 6

PCD30M F,
uncoated
 4000 rpm - 502.6
m/min
 0.14 mm/tooth
 Average chip thickness
0.044 mm

 0.2 mm DOC
 Climb milling
 TIC 15 min
 51

Test 7

PCD30M F,
uncoated
 4000 rpm - 502.6
m/min
 0.18 mm/tooth
 Average chip thickness
0.055 mm

 0.2 mm DOC
 Climb milling
 TIC 11.7 min
 52

Test 8 (Repeat of 7 with the same edge)

PCD30M F,
uncoated
 4000 rpm - 502.6
m/min
 0.18 mm/tooth
 Average chip thickness
0.055 mm

 0.2 mm DOC
 Climb milling
 TIC 23.4 min
 53

Test 9

PCD30M F,
uncoated
 4500 rpm – 565.5
m/min
 0.14 mm/tooth
 Average chip thickness
0.044 mm

 0.2 mm DOC
 Climb milling
 TIC 13.3 min
 54

Test 10

PCD30M F, coated
 4500rpm – 565.5
m/min
 0.14 mm/tooth
 Average chip thickness
0.044 mm

 0.2 mm DOC
 Climb milling
 TIC 13.3 min
 55

Test 11

PCD30M F, coated
 4000 rpm – 502.6
m/min
 0.14 mm/tooth
 Average chip thickness
0.031 mm

 0.2 mm DOC
 Climb milling
 Repetition of test 6
 TIC 15 min
 56

Test 12 (Repeat of 11 with the same edge)

PCD30M F, coated
 4000rpm – 502.6
m/min
 0.14 mm/tooth
 Average chip thickness
0.031 mm

 0.2 mm DOC
 Climb milling
 TIC 30 min
 57

Test 13 (Repeat of 11 with the same edge)

PCD30M F, coated
 4000 rpm – 502.6
m/min
 0.14 mm/tooth
 Average chip thickness
0.031 mm

 0.2 mm DOC
 Climb milling
 TIC 45 min
 58

Test 14 (Repeat of 11 with the same edge)

PCD30M F, coated
 4000rpm – 502.6
m/min
 0.14 mm/tooth
 Average chip thickness
0.031 mm

 0.2 mm DOC
 Climb milling
 TIC 60 min
 59

Test 15 (Repeat of 11 with the same edge)

PCD30M F, coated
 4000rpm – 502.6
m/min
 0.14 mm/tooth
 Average chip thickness
0.031 mm

 0.2 mm DOC
 Climb milling
 TIC 75 min
 60

Test 16 (Repeat of 11 with the same edge)

PCD30M F, coated
 4000 rpm – 502.6
m/min
 0.14 mm/tooth
 Average chip thickness
0.031 mm

 0.2 mm DOC
 Climb milling
 TIC 90 min
 Not end of tool life
 61

Alicona comparisons

The same amount of material

removed, but Test 2 has
twice as high feed as
Test 1 Test 1.

Test 2 Observe that scales are different!

 62

Alicona comparisons

Test 2 – Conventional milling

Observe that scales are different!

Test 3 – Climb milling
 63

Alicona measurements

After test 16: 90 min TIC

 64

Volume loss comparison

Volume loss comparison
4500000 200000

4000000 180000
TIC
160000
3500000 [min]
140000 Test 1 30
3000000
120000
Test 2 15

Volume loss /time unit

Volume loss

2500000 Test 3 15
100000
Test 4 15
2000000
80000 Test 5 15
1500000 Test 6 15
60000
Test
1000000 23,4
40000 7-8
500000 20000
Test 9 13,3
Test
0 0 13,3
Test 1 Test 2 Test 3 Test 4 Test 5 Test 6 Test 7-8 Test 9 Test 10 Test 11-
10
16 Test
90
11-16
Volume loss [μm³] Volume loss/time unit [μm³/min]
 65

Summary

For milling, coarse Avergage chip

grained PCD is the thickness should be
best choice. 0.03-0.045 mm
F-style edge prep is (0.001 – 0.002”)
preferable.
Coating does not
have a big effect on
tool life, but improves
wear detection.
 Summary

Stability problems
 Sensitive to find the right speed/feed combination
 Long tool solution at the end of the silent bar
Too low lubricant level in emulsion
F-style edge prep is much more suitable for this
application than first believed
Niobium nitride improves tool life and reduces wear
Combination of small depth of cut and the standard
high pressure coolant inducer is not an optimized
solution.

2016-10-06
 Surface quality

Ra after 1.75 min

Vc 175 m/min (575 sfpm) f 0.40 m/rev (0.016 ipr)
0.90
0.80
0.70
0.60
0.50
0.40
0.30
0.20
0.10
0.00
PCD05 PCD20 PCD30M

2016-10-06 Stefan G Larsson

 Chip formation

2016-10-06 Stefan G Larsson

 Chip formation

Friction dependance
 Coating
 Grit size
Easier to handle small/short chips

2016-10-06 Stefan G Larsson

 Coating

New combination coating for titanium machining

(Ti,Al)N+NbN

Reduces chemical wear

2016-10-06 Stefan G Larsson

 Coolant

Most important points in titanium machining regarding

coolant
 Flow rate
 Flow rate
 Flow rate
 Lubrication level
 Flow rate

2016-10-06 Stefan G Larsson

OPTIMIZED ROUGHING
Arc Of Contact principles
Arc of Contact increases
as the tool enters a
corner. Effective
ae
If compensation in
feedrate or Ae is not
made, the tool will most ae
likely become
overloaded.
 Chatter
 Poor surface finish
 Tool breakage
 Increased build-up
 Undercut corners Linear milling:
ae = programmed ae
Trochoidal/Hard Milling
The Arc Of Contact principle

Where :
R = Radius of tool
ae = radial depth of cut
ά = arccos (R-ae)/R))

ά
R Average
Chip Thickness = sine(ά) X FPT

ae
The Arc Of Contact principle
Big arc of contact

Small arc of contact

Big A.O.C
=
Lower Vc
 Optimized Roughing

“Optimized roughing strategies”

© 2016-10-06, all rights 77

reserved
Trochoidal Milling
 Cutter diameter should be no larger than 70% of
the slot width
 Infeeds of less than 10% should be used
 Reduce the arc of contact to limit temperature
development
 Small radial cutting depth.
 Optimized Roughing Strategies:

Strategies that actively manage all or a combination of

the following cutting conditions:
 radial width of cut
 arc of contact
 chip thickness
 feedrate
Goal of these methods is to maximize MRR while
smoothing machine load, increasing tool life, and
reducing cycle time

© 2016-10-06, all rights 79

reserved
 What NOT to do

© 2016-10-06, all rights 80

reserved
 Optimized Roughing Tools
Best Tools:
 Many flutes
 4+ flutes for medium steels, stainless steels, super alloys
 2-4 flutes for aluminum alloys and soft steels
 5+ flutes for hardened steels, super alloys
 High Ap
 Depths of cut up to 4XD are easily achieved in stable setups and good
tool holders
 Select tools with larger core diameters or with dual cores to maximize
rigidity
 Chip Control
 Chip splitters or corn cob style tools
 Size
 Tool diameters depend on feature size
 Most common sizes:
 1/2” – 5/8”

81
Additional geometrical features
• Chips are split with a length of 1*Dc
• Splits are positioned 0.25 * Dc after each other

0.25*Dc 1*Dc

Tooth 1 Tooth 2 Tooth 3 Tooth 4 Tooth 1

1* Dc