Effects of texturing the rake surfaces of cemented tungsten carbide tools by ultrashort laser pulses in machining of martensitic stainless steel

The present study investigates the effect of texturing the rake face of uncoated cemented tungsten carbide tools by ultrashort laser pulses for tribological improvement. In this sense, four parallel micro-groove texturing patterns were created on the rake face of the cutting tools, beginning at a variable distance from the cutting edge. The pitch between grooves was also varied. Friction force, machining force, chip features, and surface roughness were evaluated from semi-orthogonal dry turning in the reference (non-textured) and textured tools. The results showed friction force reduction by nearly 40%; chip deformation decrease around 21%; machining force reduction by 20%; and surface roughness by 46 and 28% for Ra and Rz, respectively, for the best texturing pattern.