Built-up edge effect on tool wear when turning steels at low cutting speed

In any machining process, it is very important to control the cutting variables used during the process because these will affect, for example, tool life and workpiece surface roughness. Since the built-up edge (BUE) increases the wear of the tool and affects the surface roughness of the workpiece, the study of this phenomenon is very important in predicting and minimizing the wear of a cutting tool. This research studies the influence of the BUE formation for coated carbide tools when turning medium- and high-strength steels. Different mathematical expressions were obtained to quantify this effect. Mathematical expressions for uncoated carbide tools were not possible to obtain, due to the fact that for these tools an increase in the wear and their premature fracture was observed.