Hybrid micro-milling assisted with laser oxidation based on the hardness reduction that caused by cemented carbide oxidation

Abstract Cemented carbides have various industrial applications in many fields. The large cutting force and excessive tool wear are the most prominent issues encountered during the mechanical cutting of cemented carbide materials. The isothermal oxidation test showed that cemented carbide exhibited a surface hardness reduction of 80% and better material machinability after full oxidation owing to the formed porous oxide layer. Inspired by the hardness reduction that caused by cemented carbide oxidation, hybrid micro-milling operation was developed based on laser oxidation. It was found that cemented carbide can produce a porous oxide layer having a thickness of several microns on the material surface under laser irradiation. Additionally, traditional and hybrid micro-milling operations were performed on cemented carbide to validate the feasibility of this method. The results showed that the developed hybrid micro-milling operation was conducive to decreasing the tool wear and cutting force. Thus, it is a potential hybrid machining operation capable of achieving high-efficiency machining of cemented carbide.