Resumo:
The high degree of competitiveness demanded by market, the growing necessity
of cost reduction and the constant search for better levels of quality have led the
companies which produce dies and molds to optimize their manufacturing processes.
Machining processes have a fundamental role in this matter, because they are
responsible for a great part of manufacturing costs of these products. The main goal in
this work is to study the performance of cermet and carbite tools, in round insert
milling of hardened ABNT H13 steel (50 HRC). The influence of cutting conditions
(cutting speed, radial depth of cut and feed per tooth) and the using of a minimum
quantity of lubricant (MQL) on tool life and on workpiece finishing was verified.
During the experiment, tool wear, cutting power and workpiece roughness were
monitored. Cermet tool presented a better performance in terms of tool life, than carbite.
Cutting speed was the input variable which influenced most the tool life, followed by
radial depth of cut and feed per tooth. The use of minimum quantity of lubricant did not
influence neither tool life and workpiece finishing.
