Tool wear control in diamond turning of high-strength mold materials by means of tool swinging

A tool-swinging method was proposed to reduce tool wear in diamond turning of high-strength mold materials. A round-nosed diamond tool was swung by rotating the B-axis rotary table of the machine, the center of which was aligned with the tool center. The tool-decentering error was detected and compensated for by an on-machine measurement system. The effects of tool-swinging direction, swinging speed, lubricant type, and tool rake angle were investigated. The tool wear was greatly reduced compared to the conventional method. A surface finish of 4 nm Ra was obtained on reaction-bonded silicon carbide by generating continuous chips.