Free Machining Steel: I—Tool-Life Characteristics of Resulfurized Steel

Abstract

Tool-wear and tool-life characteristics of a series of five steels of different sulfur content are presented for different values of cutting speed, feed, cutting fluid, and cold work. While the presence of manganese sulfide in steel is generally found to extend tool life, certain combinations of speed and feed yield result that indicate the reverse effect. For the group of hot-rolled steels studied, sulfur was found to shorten tool life at certain cutting speeds when the feed was in the vicinity of 0.005 ipr. The hot-rolled steels of low sulfur content exhibit better tool life with high-speed steel tools than with carbide tools when the cutting speed is such as to give a tool life in the vicinity of 4 hr. A tracer device is described that is useful in exploring the nature and extent of the crater and built-up areas on the tool face.