Tool “passivation” is a process of micro-processing the cutting edge of the tool. The purpose is to remove tiny burrs and irregularities on the cutting edge. Or the sharp cutting edge is moderately rounded to improve the performance of the tool. This treatment does not actually make the tool blunt, but makes the cutting edge more durable and stable, thereby improving the cutting effect.
The Main Reason for the “Passivation” of End Mill Tools
Improve End Mill Cutting Tool Strength and Wear Resistance
Sharp end mill milling cutter blades are prone to micro-cracks or chipping due to stress concentration during cutting, affecting tool life and processing quality. Through passivation treatment, tiny defects on the cutting edge can be removed to make it smoother and more uniform. Thereby improving the overall strength of the end mill and reducing the risk of chipping. And improving wear resistance, making the tool more stable and durable under high-load cutting.
Reduce Cutting Tool Loss
Passivation treatment makes the cutting edge of carbide tools smoother and reduces local wear caused by stress concentration. Thereby reducing cutting edge damage, extending the service life of milling cutters, and improving cutting stability.
Improve Machining Surface Quality
The passivated end mill can effectively reduce the roughness of the workpiece surface and improve the finish. Reducing micro defects generated during cutting is particularly critical for high-precision machining.
Reduce Cutting Rresistance
After the end mill edge is passivated, the friction during cutting is reduced. The tool stability during cutting is improved, which helps to improve machining efficiency.
Improve Machining Consistency
The passivation treatment makes the tool performance more stable and maintains uniform cutting under different working conditions, thereby ensuring the consistency of machining results and improving product quality.
The Purpose of Tool “Passivation”
The core of the edge passivation technology is to optimize the microstructure of the tool edge after grinding, and to correct and strengthen the tiny gaps caused by grinding. Through this process, the sharpness of the edge is reasonably optimized, so that micro defects are gradually reduced or even eliminated. Finally, the edge is smoother and flatter. This not only maintains the sharpness of the tool, but also significantly improves its strength and durability. Thereby achieving more stable and efficient cutting performance.
The Main Effect ofTool “Passivation”
Rounding of Cutting Edge
The burrs on the cutting edge cause the tool to wear and the surface of the workpiece to become rough. After passivation, the cutting edge becomes extremely smooth, which greatly reduces the chipping and improves the surface finish of the workpiece. Polishing of the chip groove is to polish the tool groove evenly, which can improve its surface quality and chip removal performance.
Polishing of the Chip Groove
The smoother the groove surface is, the better the chip removal effect is, which can achieve higher speed cutting. At the same time, after the surface quality is improved, the risk of the tool and the processed material being stuck is also reduced. And it can reduce 40% of the cutting force, making the cutting process smoother.
Polishing of Coating
Some tiny protruding droplets will appear on the surface of the coated tool, which increases the surface roughness. As a result, the tool is prone to generate greater friction heat during the cutting process, thereby reducing the cutting speed. After passivation polishing, the droplets can be removed. At the same time, many small holes are left, which can absorb more cutting fluid during processing, greatly reducing the heat generated during cutting. It can greatly improve the speed of cutting.
Therefore, CNC end mill cutting tool passivation is an effective means to improve tool performance and is widely used in various precision processing fields.
