Effects of Vegetable Oil Based Cutting Fluid in Machining Kevlar Composite Material

Abstract

Composite laminates are the first priority for many applications such as aerospace and aircraft structural components due to their superior properties. Composites offer a number of distinct advantages over more conventional engineering materials such as aluminium, steel etc. These benefits include higher specific strengths and stiffness's, superior corrosion resistance as well as improved fatigue properties. However, the benefits of its application are limited by the difficulty of machining due to its poor thermal conductivity. Excess cutting temperature affects the dimensional accuracy of the drilled hole and deteriorates its surface finish. As a result, acquiring a good surface finish and dimensional accuracy greatly dependent upon the control of the cutting parameters and appropriate use of cutting environments. The objective of the article is to evaluate the performance of vegetable oil-based cutting fluid on machining Kevlar composite. Furthermore, machining responses are compared with dry and wet cutting conditions to have appropriate machining environment. Drilled holes were evaluated based on surface roughness and dimensional accuracy. Apart from machining parameters, tool wear and chips formations also have been observed on given different machining conditions. Experimental investigation revealed that Vegetable based cutting fluid is better for surface roughness where machining accuracy deteriorate. Furthermore, tool wear and chips formation also improved significantly on vegetable based cutting fluid.