TOPOGRAPHICAL STUDY OF TEXTURED CUTTING TOOLS BY JETTING AND LASER BLASTING TECHNIQUES

Abstract

In the last two decades, micro-topography surface modification has received great attention, as a result of its evenly distributed asperities and depressions. The process, known as surface texturization, has been successfully used in many applications with the aim to increasing surface performance in various aspects. The purpose of this work is to compare laser texturization in ISO K-class hardness metal inserts that were coated with TiAlN-Futura®, AlCrN-Alcrona® and AlCrN-Hélica®, as well as to validate its efficiency on the mechanical coating of substrates in comparison to the commercially available by the jetting technique. Therefore, the topographies of the textured tools were studied by jetting and laser blasting techniques and later assessed with a 3D profilometer, resulting in greater isotropy for textured substrates with the jetting technology as opposed to laser machining.