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This study presents an investigation of the usability and suitability of natural rocks as cutting tool materials. Therefore, indexable inserts are manufactured from eight different rocks and two mono minerals in this study and are used for turning of an aluminium alloy. Besides that, a characterization of the rock properties is performed. The wear of the rock tools and the surface roughness of the workpiece generated by the tools are used to evaluate their operational behaviour. Subsequently, the rock properties and the corresponding operational behaviour are used to assess the suitability of the rocks as cutting tool material. The results show that rock inserts can be used as cutting material for the turning of an aluminium alloy showing a width of wear marks between 83 and 1665 µm at the flank face after a cutting length of 500 m depending on the rock used. Furthermore, it is shown that rock tools are able to achieve surface roughness values which are comparable to those obtainable by using a conventional cemented carbide insert. The study shows that natural rocks can generally be used as alternative cutting material for the turning of aluminium. In addition a possible way for a systematic investigation and assessment of the suitability of natural rocks as cutting tool materials is presented, the relevance of the rock properties for the operational behaviour of the rock inserts is described and relevant future research topics concerning the use of rocks as cutting tool material are identified. Article highlights Demonstrating the possibility to use natural rocks as alternative environmentally friendly cutting tool material. Evaluation of operational behaviour and wear mechanisms of rock tools in turning aluminium. Identification of rock properties relevant for the operational behaviour of rock inserts.

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The performance of cutting tools can be significantly enhanced by matching the cutting edge rounding to the process and material properties. However, the conventional cutting edge rounding design is characterized by a significant number of experimental machining studies, which involve considerable cost, time, and resources. In this study, a novel approach to cutting edge rounding design using FEM-based chip formation simulations is presented. Based on a parameterized simulation model, tool temperatures, stresses and relative velocities can be calculated as a function of tool microgeometry. It can be shown that the external tool loads can be simulated with high agreement. With the help of these loads and the use of wear models, the resulting tool wear and the optimum cutting edge rounding can be determined. The final experimental investigations show a qualitatively high agreement to the simulation, which will enable a reduced effort design of the cutting edge in the future.