Effects of carbon nanotubes on wear of WC/Co micropunches

Punching has potential for mass production of microfeatures. Long lasting punches are critical to successful application of micropunching. This paper is focused on investigating the effects of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on prolonging the tool life of WC/Co micropunches. CNTs were grown on some of the micropunches. Punching on Ti specimens was carried out using micropunches with and without CNTs. Wear loss and surface texture of the micropunches and the size of the punched holes were measured using confocal microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, digital balance, etc. Results suggested that, with CNTs, a protective layer was formed after the run-in stage. The protective layer could lengthen the useful life of the micropunch by up to 35 % without directly affecting the size of the punched holes. © 2014 Springer-Verlag London.