Coated milling insert and method of making it

Abstract

A coated milling insert particularly useful for milling in low and medium alloyed steels with or without raw surface zones during wet or dry conditions. The insert is characterized by a WC-Co cemented carbide with a low content of cubic carbides and a highly W alloyed binder phase and a coating including an inner layer of TiC x N y O z with columnar grains, a layer of κ-Al 2 O 3 and, preferably, a top layer of TiN. The layers are deposited by using CVD methods.

1. A cutting tool insert for milling low and medium alloyed steels with or without raw surfaces during wet or dry conditions comprising a cemented carbide body and a coating wherein said cemented carbide body comprises WC, 8.6-9.5 wt-% Co and 0.2-1.8 wt-% cubic carbides of Ta, Ti and Nb, with Ti present on a level corresponding to a technical impurity, and a highly W-alloyed binder phase with a CW-ratio of 0.78-0.93 and said coating comprises
 a first (innermost) layer of TiC x N y O z  with x+y+z=1, with a thickness of 0.1-1.5 μm, and with equiaxed grains with size <0.5 μm  
 a second layer of TiC x N y O z  with x+y+z=1, with a thickness of 1-6 μm with columnar grains with diameter of <5 μm and  
 a layer of a smooth, fine-grained (0.5-2 μm) κ-Al 2 O 3  with a thickness of 0.5-5 μm.  
 
     
     
       2. The milling insert of  claim 1  wherein the cemented carbide has the composition of 8.8-9.4 wt-% Co and 0.4-1.8 wt-% carbides of Ta and Nb. 
     
     
       3. The milling insert of  claim 1  wherein the CW-ratio is from 0.82-0.90. 
     
     
       4. The milling insert of  claim 1  further comprising an outermost TiN-layer which has been removed along the cutting edge. 
     
     
       5. A method of making a milling insert comprising a cemented carbide body and a coating comprising coating a WC-Co-based cemented carbide body with a highly W-alloyed binder phase with a CW-ratio of 0.78-0.93 with
 a first (innermost) layer of TiC x N y O z  with x+y+z=1, with a thickness of 0.1-1.5 μm, with equiaxed grains with size <0.5 μm using known CVD-methods  
 a second layer of TiC x N y O z  with x+y+z=1, with a thickness of 1-6 μm with columnar grains with a diameter of about <5 μm deposited by MTCVD-technique, using acetonitrile as the carbon and nitrogen source for forming the layer in a preferred temperature range of 850-900° C. and  
 a layer of a smooth κ-Al 2 O 3  with a thickness of 0.5-5 μm.  
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5  wherein said cemented carbide body has a cobalt content of 8.8-9.4 wt-% and cubic carbides of Ta and Nb. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 5  wherein the CW-ratio is from 0.82-0.90. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 5  further comprising an outermost TiN-layer which is removed along the cutting edge. 
     
     
       9. The cutting tool insert of  claim 1  wherein in the first (innermost) layer of TiC x N y O z , z<0.5 and in the second layer of TiC x N y O z , z=0, x>0.3 and y>0.3. 
     
     
       10. The cutting tool insert of  claim 1  wherein the insert contains an outermost layer of TiN with a thickness of >1  <1 μm. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 5  wherein in the first (innermost) layer of TiC x N y O z , z<0.5 and in the second layer of TiC x N y O z , z=0, x>0.3 and y>0.3. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 5  wherein the insert contains an outermost layer of TiN with a thickness of <1 μm. 
     
     
       13. The cutting tool insert of  claim 1  wherein the CW- ratio is  0 . 80 - 0 . 91 .   
     
     
       14. The cutting tool insert of  claim 1  wherein an average grain size of WC is in the range of or about  1 . 5 - 2 . 0  μm. 
     
     
       15. The cutting tool insert of  claim 1  wherein a surface roughness of the layer of κ- Al   2   O   3    is less than or equal to  0 . 4  μm.   
     
     
       16. The cutting tool insert of  claim 10  wherein a surface roughness of the outermost TiN- layer is less than or equal to  0 . 4  μm.   
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 5  wherein the CW- ratio is  0 . 80 - 0 . 91 .   
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 5  wherein an average grain size of WC is in the range of or about  1 . 5 - 2 . 0  μm. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 5  wherein a surface roughness of the layer of κ- Al   2   O   3    is less than or equal to  0 . 4  μm.   
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 12  wherein a surface roughness of the outermost TiN- layer is less than or equal to  0 . 4  μm.