Experiment Study on Machinability of Six Kinds of Wrought Nickel-Based Superalloys

The wrought nickel-based superalloy has been the indispensable material for aviation manufacturing industry, but it is also one of extremely difficult-to-cut materials. Now many researches were focused on the machinability of wrought nickel-based superalloy, and many useful and favorable results can be collected. But most of these researches studied on single kind of wrought nickel-based superalloy, the general and integrated study is absent. In this paper, six typical wrought nickel-based superalloys (GH80A, GH738, GH3030, GH3044, GH4033 and GH4169) were studied. By means of studies on tool wear rate, cutting forces, cutting vibration and tool wear mechanism, the comprehensive comparison of the machinability of wrought nickel-based superalloys was showed. The influences of major elements on the machinability were investigated. The machinability of the six kinds of wrought nickel-based superalloys queues from easiness to difficulty as follows: GH3030, GH3044, GH4033 and GH80A, GH4169, GH738. Finally the comprehensive comparisons of tool failure modes and wear mechanism of these wrought nickel-based superalloys were also presented. Experiment results are comprehensive and have great practical significance to the high efficient machining of wrought superalloys.