Assessment and Modelling of Cutting Forces in Turning of Aluminium Metal Matrix Composite Using Response Surface Methodology

Abstract

The conventional materials are nowadays replaced by Metal matrix composites owing to their excellent Mechanical and machining phenomena. The growing/up-trending growth in Automobile and aerospace sector paves / necessitates the need for accuracy / closer tolerance in machining parameters. The constraints while machining MMC's are surface roughness and cutting force parameters. The present study focuses on the cutting parameters, condition influencing the surface roughness in terms of material composition, tool wear, speed feed, during the machining of LM6/SiC composites. The mathematical model has been established using Taguchi technique (L16 orthogonal array). By using the RSM approach empirical relation for various machining attributes has been generated to assess the output parameters namely, Feed force (Ff), Cutting force (Fc), Radial force (Fd) and surface roughness (Ra). Desirability function approach is used to find the optimal machining condition. The influence of various parameters in machining of LM6/SiC composite have been analyzed in detail. The study showed that the optimized outputs for the machining of LM6/SiC composite for the input parameters 0% Reinforcement, new tool flank wear(0mm), speed in the range of 684 rpm and 0.1mm feed rate respectively are 7.827 N, 11.196N, 7.890 N and 10.786µm.