Cutting tool body having tungsten disulfide coating and method for accomplishing same

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a tool body of a cutting tool comprises mechanically shaping the tool body to provide a metal surface on the tool body having a first surface characteristic. Thereafter, the metal surface is chemically treated with a metal reactant to create a relatively soft metal film along the metal surface. This soft metal film is removed via burnishing or other appropriate action to smooth the metal surface. After the surface is smoothed, the metal surface is then roughened to prepare the surface for the receipt of tungsten disulfide. The roughened metal surface is coated with tungsten disulfide. A cutting tool is disclosed that comprises a tool body defining a substantially isotropic surface having pits formed therein, and tungsten disulfide particles filled into the pits.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing and finishing a tool body of a cutting tool, comprising: 
 mechanically shaping the tool body of the cutting tool to provide a metal surface on the tool body with a first surface characteristic; thereafter    chemically treating the metal surface with a metal reactant to create a relatively soft metal film along the metal surface and removing the soft metal film to smooth the metal surface to a second surface characteristic that is smoother than the first surface characteristic; thereafter    roughening the metal surface; and    coating the roughened metal surface with tungsten disulfide.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of mechanically shaping comprises at least one mechanical operation selected from the group consisting of machining, milling, and lathing, wherein the first surface characteristic of the metal surface has a directional disposition, and wherein the step of chemically treating and removing substantially removes the directional disposition leaving the metal surface with an substantially isotropic finish and thereby providing the second surface characteristic.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the roughening comprises blasting the metal surface with blast media to form pits in the metal surface.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said tungsten disulfide comprises tungsten disulfide particles, wherein said coating comprises impinging tungsten disulfide particles on the metal surface to fill the pits with tungsten disulfide particles.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising selecting a blast media size and operating parameters for the blasting to control the size the pits to be smaller than a size of the tungsten disulfide particles, whereby a substantial number of the tungsten disulfide particles project outside of the pits.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the blast media has a size of between 200-1800 grit size.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cutting tool comprises a metallic tool body and a carbide cutting edge.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said coating comprises impinging the roughened metal surface with tungsten disulfide particles having a mean particle size of between about 0.5 and about 3 micron.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step chemical treating and removing comprises placing the tool body in a vibratory bowl having a plurality of abrasive and/or non-abrasive media particles and the metal oxidizing agent in an aqueous form, and vibrating the bowl to simultaneously form the metal film with the metal oxidizing agent and remove the film with the abrasive and/or non-abrasive media particles.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising burnishing the tool body in a vibratory bowl containing a plurality of non-abrasive media particles.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said mechanical shaping comprises milling axially extending flutes into the tool body, the flutes defining the metal surface.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising nitriding the tool body to harden the tool body.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, mounting cutters to the tool body at a time after the chemically treating so as to prevent erosion of sharpened edges on the cutters.  
     
     
         14 . A method of finishing a metal surface on a tool body of a cutting tool, the metal surface having a directional characteristic created by a mechanical shaping operation, the method comprising: 
 smoothing the metal surface and removing the directionality on the metal surface to provide the metal surface with a substantially isotropic surface characteristic; thereafter    pitting the metal surface to forming pits in the isotropic surface; and    filling the pits with tungsten disulfide particles.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the pitting comprises blasting the metal surface with blast media to form pits in the metal surface.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said filling comprises impinging tungsten disulfide particles on the metal surface to fill the pits with tungsten disulfide particles.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising selecting a blast media size and operating parameters for the blasting to control the size the pits to be smaller than a size of the tungsten disulfide particles, whereby a substantial number of the tungsten disulfide particles project outside of the pits.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the blast media has a size of between 200-1800 grit size.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the cutting tool comprises a metallic tool body and a carbide cutting edge.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said filling comprises impinging the roughened metal surface with tungsten disulfide particles having a mean particle size of between about 0.5 and about 3 micron.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step smoothing and removing comprises placing the tool body in a vibratory bowl having a plurality of abrasive and/or non-abrasive media particles and the metal oxidizing agent in an aqueous form, and vibrating the bowl to simultaneously form the metal film with the metal oxidizing agent and remove the film with the abrasive and/or non-abrasive media particles.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising burnishing the tool body in a vibratory bowl containing a plurality of non-abrasive media particles.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said tool body comprises axially extending flutes formed into the tool body, the flutes defining the metal surface.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising nitriding the tool body to harden the tool body.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising, mounting cutters to the tool body at a time after the chemically treating so as to prevent erosion of sharpened edges on the cutters.  
     
     
         26 . A method of finishing a metal surface a tool body, comprising: 
 chemically forming a soft metal film on the metal surface;    removing the soft metal film to smooth the metal surface; thereafter    impinging the metal surface with blast media to form pits in the metal surface; and    impinging the metal surface with tungsten disulfide particles.    
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said filling comprises impinging tungsten disulfide particles on the metal surface to fill the pits with tungsten disulfide particles.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising selecting a blast media size and operating parameters for the impinging to control the size the pits to be smaller than a size of the tungsten disulfide particles, whereby a substantial number of the tungsten disulfide particles project outside of the pits.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the blast media has a size of between 200-1800 grit size.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the cutting tool comprises a metallic tool body and a carbide cutting edge.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the tungsten disulfide particles have a mean particle size of between about 0.5 and about 3 micron.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the chemically forming and removing comprise placing the tool body in a vibratory bowl having a plurality of abrasive and/or non-abrasive media particles and the metal oxidizing agent in an aqueous form, and vibrating the bowl to simultaneously form the metal film with the metal oxidizing agent and remove the film with the abrasive and/or non-abrasive media particles.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising burnishing the tool body in a vibratory bowl containing a plurality of non-abrasive media particles.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said tool body comprises axially extending flutes formed into the tool body, the flutes defining the metal surface.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising hardening the tool body.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising mounting cutters to the tool body at a time after the chemically treating so as to prevent erosion of sharpened edges on the cutters.  
     
     
         37 . A cutting tool comprising a tool body defining a substantially isotropic surface having pits formed therein, and tungsten disulfide particles filled into the pits.  
     
     
         38 . The cutting tool of  claim 37 , further comprising cutters formed separate from the tool body, the cutters being mounted to the tool body.  
     
     
         39 . The cutting tool of  claim 38 , wherein the cutters comprise carbide material, each cutter providing a cutting edge, and wherein the tool body comprises metallic material, whereby the cutting tool is categorized as a brazed in carbide tool or an indexable tool.  
     
     
         39 . The cutting tool of  claim 37 , further comprising flutes formed into the tool body, the flutes being coated with tungsten disulfide particles.  
     
     
         40 . The cutting tool of  claim 37 , wherein the pits are selectively sized such that a substantial number of tungsten disulfide particles project outside of the pits.  
     
     
         41 . The cutting tool of  claim 37 , wherein the tungsten disulfide particles have a mean size of between .5 and 3 micron.  
     
     
         42 . The cutting tool of  claim 37 , wherein the substantially isotropic surface extends substantially over the entire surface of the tool body.