Coated cutting insert

Abstract

There is disclosed a coated cutting insert particularly useful for cutting in cast iron materials. The insert is characterized by a straight WC-Co cemented carbide body having a highly W-alloyed Co binder phase, a well-defined surface content of Co and a coating including an innermost layer of TiC x N y O z with columnar grains, a layer of a fine-grained, textured Al 2 O 3 layer and a top layer of TiC x N y O z that has been removed along the cutting edge line.

1. A cutting tool insert comprising a coating and a cemented carbide body, said cemented carbide body comprising WC, 5-10 weight % Co and <0.5 weight % cubic carbides of metals from groups IVb, Vb, or VIb of the periodic table with a highly W-alloyed binder phase having a CW-ratio of 0.75-0.93 and a surface composition of the cemented carbide body being well-defined, the amount of Co on the surface being within −4 weight % to +4 weight % of the nominal Co content of the body and said coating comprising:
 a first, innermost, layer of TiC x N y O z  with x+y+z=1 and y>x and z<0.1, with a thickness of 0.1-2 μm, and with equiaxed grains having a size <0.5 μm;  
 a layer of TiC x N y O z  where x+y+z=1, and z=0, x>0.3 and y>0.3, with a thickness of 5-10 μm with columnar grains having a diameter of <2 μm;  
 a layer of TiC x N y O z  where x+y+z=1, z<0.5 and x>y with a thickness of 0.1-2 μm and with equiaxed or needle-like grains having a size <0.5 μm;  
 a layer of smooth, textured, fine-grained α-Al 2 O 3  having a grain size of 0.5-2 μm with a thickness of 3-6 μm; and  
 an outer layer of TiC x N y O z  where x+y+z=1, z<0.05 with a thickness of 0.5-3 μm and a grain size <1 μm, the outer coating layer having been removed in at least the edge line so that the Al 2 O 3  layer is on top along the cutting edge line and the outer layer of TiC x N y O z  is the top layer on the clearance side.  
 
     
     
       2. The cutting tool insert of  claim 1  wherein the α-Al 2 O 3  layer has a texture in (012)-direction and a texture coefficient TC(012) larger than 1.3. 
     
     
       3. A cutting tool insert comprising a coating and a cemented carbide body, said cemented carbide body comprising WC, 5-10 weight % Co and <0.5 weight % cubic carbides of metals from groups IVb, Vb, or VIb of the periodic table with a highly W-alloyed binder phase having a CW-ratio of 0.75-0.93 and a surface composition of the cemented carbide body being well-defined, the amount of Co on the surface being within −4 weight % to +4 weight % of the nominal Co content of the body and said coating comprising:
 a first, innermost, layer of TiC x N y O z  with x+y+z=1 and z<0.5 and y<0.1 with a thickness of 0.1-2 μm, and with equiaxed grains having a size <0.5 μm;  
 a layer of TiC x N y O z  where x+y+z=1, and z=0, x>0.3 and y>0.3, with a thickness of 5-10 μm with columnar grains having a diameter of <2 μm;  
 a layer of TiC x N y O z  where x+y+z=1, z<0.5 and x>y with a thickness of 0.1-2 μm and with equiaxed or needle-like grains having a size <0.5 μm;  
 a layer of smooth, textured, fine-grained α-Al 2 O 3  having a grain size of 0.5-2 μm with a thickness of 3-6 μm; and  
 an outer layer of TiC x N y O z  where x+y+z=1, z<0.05 with a thickness of 0.5-3 μm and a grain size <1 μm, the outer coating layer having been removed in at least the edge line so that the Al 2 O 3  layer is on top along the cutting edge line and the outer layer of TiC x N y O z  is the top layer on the clearance side.  
 
     
     
       4. The cutting tool insert of  claim 1  wherein the outer TiC x N y O z  layer comprises a multilayer of TiN/TiC/TiN. 
     
     
       5. The cutting tool insert of  claim 1  wherein the binder phase has a CW ratio of from 0.8-0.9. 
     
     
       6. The cutting tool insert of  claim 1  wherein the cobalt content of the cemented carbide body is 5-8 weight %. 
     
     
       7. A method of making a cutting insert comprising a cemented carbide body and a coating wherein a WC-Co-based cemented carbide body is sintered, said sintering including a cooling step which at least to below 1200° C. is performed in a hydrogen atmosphere of pressure 0.4-0.9 bar and thereafter coating said sintered body with
 a first, innermost, layer of TiC x N y O z  with a thickness of 0.1-2 μm, with equiaxed grains with size <0.5 μm by CVD;  
 a layer of TiC x N y O z  with a thickness of 4-12 μm with columnar grains and with a diameter of <5 μm deposited by MTCVD technique, using acetonitrile as the carbon and nitrogen source for forming the layer in a temperature range of 850-900° C.;  
 a layer of TiC x N y O z  with a thickness of 0.1-2 μm with equiaxed or needle-like grains with size <0.5 μm, using CVD;  
 a layer of a smooth textured α-Al 2 O 3  textured in the direction (012), (104) or (110) with a thickness of 3-8 μm using CVD; and  
 an outer layer of TiC x N y O z  with a thickness of 0.5-3 μm, using CVD and thereafter removing the outer layer of TiC x N y O z  on at least the cutting edge line so that the Al 2 O 3  layer is on top along the cutting edge line and the outer layer of TiC x N y O z  is the top layer on the clearance side of the cutting insert.  
 
     
     
       8. The cutting tool insert of  claim 3  wherein the α-Al 2   O   3    layer has a texture in ( 012 )-direction and a texture coefficient TC( 012 ) larger than  1 . 3 .   
     
     
       9. The cutting tool insert of  claim 3  wherein the outer TiC x   N   y   O   z    layer comprises a multilayer of TiN/TiC/TiN.   
     
     
       10. The cutting tool insert of  claim 3  wherein the binder phase has a CW ratio of from  0 . 8 - 0 . 9 . 
     
     
       11. The cutting tool insert of  claim 3  wherein the cobalt content of the cemented carbide body is  5 - 8  weight %. 
     
     
       12. The cutting tool insert of  claim 7  wherein the outer TiC x   N   y   O   z    layer comprises a multilayer of TiN/TiC/TiN.   
     
     
       13. The cutting tool insert of  claim 7  wherein the binder phase has a CW ratio of from  0 . 8 - 0 . 9 . 
     
     
       14. The cutting tool insert of  claim 7  wherein the cobalt content of the cemented carbide body is  5 - 8  weight %.