How to Understanding Friction in Metal Cutting & its Influence on Tool Life – An Australian Approach

Description:
Join Professor Derry Doyle as he explores the science of metal cutting through the lens of Australian innovation. Using original video footage of metal cutting inside a scanning electron microscope, he will reveal how PVD surface coatings impact friction, tool life, surface finish, and residual stress. The presentation will also trace the development of PVD technology in Australia, with a special focus on the pioneering work of Sutton Tools.

Attendees will gain practical insights into how metal flows around a cutting tool and the critical role friction plays in that process. This session also offers a clear overview of the PVD coating technology that continues to shape cutting tool performance and manufacturing excellence in Australia.

About:
Professor Derry Doyle began his academic journey at the University of Manchester (UMIST), earning an Honors Degree in Metallurgy in 1966 followed by a PhD in 1969. In 1970, he moved to Australia to work as a research scientist with the Defense Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO), specializing in manufacturing technologies—particularly metal cutting and grinding. He was later invited to take up a research fellowship at the University of Cambridge’s Cavendish Laboratory, where he collaborated with Professor David Tabor and Greg Horne on pioneering research into friction in metal cutting using transparent tools. This work was published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society and remains influential in the field.

Returning to Australia, Professor Doyle continued his work with the DSTO and later joined Sutton Tools in 1989, co-founding a company with Jim Sutton focused on advanced PVD coatings for cutting tools. He held academic positions at Swinburne Institute of Technology—where he was awarded Emeritus Professor in 2004—and later joined the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), where he lectured in Materials Science and conducted research in Surface Engineering.

Beyond engineering, Professor Doyle has a long-standing passion for psychology, practicing psychotherapy and counseling in Melbourne and serving six years as President of the Carl Jung Society. His recent interests lie in the fields of neuroscience, exploring the work of Iain McGilchrist and Donald Hoffman. A devoted husband to Denise for over five decades, proud father of four and grandfather to six, Professor Doyle balances intellectual pursuits with golf and Bikram Yoga at the vibrant age of 81.

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