The Roughness Characteristic of AA6061-F, AA6061-O and AA6061-T6 after Machining Process

Abstract

Generally, the aims of the machining process are to produce a smooth surface according to a specific standard. To get a good surface quality can be implied by improving the machinability of the raw material. In addition, the selection of machining methods and machining parameters is also an important factor. This study aims to obtain a relationship between heat treatment and surface quality of AA6061 alloy after machining. Heat treatment is expected to improve the machinability of the AA6061 alloy to produce a surface with low roughness. The study was conducted using two heat treatment methods, namely AA6061-T6 and AA6061-O and comparing it with AA6061-F. After the heat treatment process, the AA6061 alloy was machined using a lathe with 1500 rpm spindle speed, 0.05 mm/rev of feed rate and 2 mm depth of cut. The condition of the turning process was varied with and without lubrication. The effect of heat treatment on the surface quality after machining is in terms of surface roughness, microstructure, hardness value, and chip shape. From the results, it was found that Al6061-O has the best surface quality with lowest hardness and lowest surface roughness.