• Transactions of the Korean Society of Machine Tool Engineers
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.104-111
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• 2008

The objective of this study is to evaluate micro end-milling characteristics and tool wear behavior of AlN-hBN composites. First, AlN based composites with hBN contents in the range of 10 to 20vol% were prepared by hot-pressing. Vickers hardness and flexural strength of the prepared composite specimens were measured and compared according to the vol% of hBN variations. Then, cutting force variations were measured and analyzed using a tool dynamometer during the micro end-milling experiments; and machined surface shapes and roughness were investigated using a 3D non-contact type surface profiler. After micro end-milling, worn tools were investigated using a tool microscope and SEM images. From the experimental results, it can be observed that the cutting forces decreased, and surface qualities were improved with increasing hBN contents. At low content of hBN, tool chipping was observed; and tool wear rate decreased with increasing hBN contents. The results of this study insist that proper machining conditions, including tool wear behavior investigation, should be determined for the micro end-milling of AlN-hBN composites for its further application.