Grey relational analysis coupled with principal component analysis for optimization design of the cutting parameters in high-speed end milling

This paper investigates optimization design of the cutting parameters for rough cutting processes in high-speed end milling on SKD61 tool steel. The major characteristics indexes for performance selected to evaluate the processes are tool life and metal removal rate, and the corresponding cutting parameters are milling type, spindle speed, feed per tooth, radial depth of cut, and axial depth of cut. In this study, the process is intrinsically with multiple performance indexes so that grey relational analysis that uses grey relational grade as performance index is specially adopted to determine the optimal combination of cutting parameters. Moreover, the principal component analysis is applied to evaluate the weighting values corresponding to various performance characteristics so that their relative importance can be properly and objectively described. The results of confirmation experiments reveal that grey relational analysis coupled with principal component analysis can effectively acquire the optimal combination of cutting parameters. Hence, this confirms that the proposed approach in this study can be an useful tool to improve the cutting performance of rough cutting processes in high-speed end milling process. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.