How to improve cutting performance of coated saw blade milling cutters
Sources:www.cssjlgj.com | PublishDate:2026.08.31
The saw blade milling cutter belongs to intermittent cutting, which is greatly affected by impact, thermal alternation, tool sticking, and chip discharge difference; Performance improvement can be divided into five directions: coating system, tool substrate and edge geometry, cutting parameters, cooling and chip removal, and clamping conditions.
1、 Optimize coating scheme (core)
Saw blade milling cutters often use PVD physical vapor deposition, with a coating thickness of 1-3 μ m. If the coating is too thick, it will passivate the fine tooth edge, and if it is too thin, it will not be wear-resistant enough.
1. Match the workpiece and select the coating
Ordinary carbon steel and alloy steel: TiCN, high hardness, wear-resistant, and resistant to crescent wear.
Stainless steel, mold steel, dry cutting conditions: TiAlN/AlCrN, anti-oxidation 800-900 ℃, high temperature impact resistance, suitable for intermittent cutting.
Aluminum, copper and other non-ferrous metal anti sticking knives: DLC diamond-like coating, low friction coefficient, inhibits chip accumulation.
Avoid blindly pursuing high hardness, prioritize the adhesion between the coating and the substrate, and prevent coating peeling under cutting impact.
2. Key points of coating process
The cutting edge is pre passivated (ER 3-5 μ m) to remove micro cracks and improve coating adhesion and reduce impact film peeling.
Prioritize multi-layer gradient coating to reduce internal stress in the coating and resist frequent cold and hot alternation of the saw blade.
2、 Optimization of Matrix and Blade Geometric Structure
1. Material selection for the substrate
Hard alloy prioritizes ultrafine grain matrix (0.2-0.5 μ m), balancing hardness and impact toughness; The high-speed steel substrate is made of M35/M42, and the toughness of the substrate ensures the ability to resist tooth breakage.
2. Matching working conditions of tooth profile angle
Processing steel parts: zero rake angle/small negative rake angle to enhance the impact resistance of the cutting edge; Rear angle 8-12 °, balancing strength and friction wear.
Nonferrous metals: positive front angle, increased chip storage groove, improved chip removal.
Number of teeth selection: thick material with coarse teeth, thin part with dense teeth; Ensure that at least 2-3 teeth participate in cutting simultaneously to reduce single tooth impact loads.
Thin saw blade milling cutter, with a well-designed chip separation groove to prevent chips from clogging the saw gap, causing tool squeezing and burning.
3、 Reasonably set cutting parameters (coating ≠ allows unlimited acceleration)
Coated saw blades can increase cutting speed by 20-70% compared to uncoated ones, but the saw blades perform intermittent impact cutting and cannot directly copy the parameters of end mills.
1. Tooth feed fz control: Focus on controlling the feed of each tooth and do not blindly increase the speed. Excessive fz can easily cause tooth breakage; Fz is too small, causing friction and compression at the cutting edge, resulting in the rapid formation of chip lumps.
2. Cutting depth/groove width: Do not cut the groove width all at once. Prioritize layered milling to reduce the lateral force on the saw blade and minimize tool clearance and vibration patterns.
3. Avoid prolonged idling: Friction heating during idling can damage the coating.
4、 Cooling, lubrication, and chip removal
Pain points of saw blade milling cutters: chips are trapped in the saw gap, and repeated friction causes early wear and sticking of the coating.
1. Align the coolant nozzle with the cutting engagement area, not the nozzle holder; Sufficient flow to flush out the cutting debris in the saw seam.
2. Prioritize extreme pressure emulsion for stainless steel processing; Nonferrous metals can be cooled with oil to suppress chip deposits.
3. High speed dry cutting conditions, using TiAlN coating; Prohibit dry cutting of ordinary TiN coating, high temperature rapid oxidation failure.
4. It can be paired with compressed air to assist in blowing chips and prevent them from staying in the saw groove.
5、 Clamping, equipment and maintenance
1. Strictly control jumping: the spindle, handle, and saw blade flange are clean and free of iron filings; The end face runout of the saw blade is ≤ 0.01-0.02mm. Large runout, single tooth overload, coating peeling and tooth breakage.
2. The clamping torque is appropriate to prevent the saw blade from deforming and warping.
3. Avoid lateral force, saw blade milling cutters are not suitable for lateral milling.
4. Grinding: Grind the front and rear blade surfaces again after the blade is worn out; After grinding, the original coating is removed and needs to be recoated, otherwise the performance will significantly decrease.
5. Storage and handling should avoid collision and scratching of the coating.