Influence of extrusion parameters on drilling machinability of AZ31 magnesium alloy

AZ31 magnesium alloy is mainly used in aerospace applications due to its lightweight and good mechanical properties. The installation of AZ31 alloy in an aircraft usually requires machining operations such as drilling and milling for assembly purposes. The current study aims to investigate the effects of different extrusion ratios (1.77, 2.68, 3.55) on the drilling machinability of AZ31 alloys. The machinability was evaluated with thrust force, borehole surface quality, and chip characteristics. It was found that the thrust force and hole quality depend on the extrusion ratio and cutting parameters. The highest thrust force and surface roughness R-a occurred when drilling AZ31 alloy produced using the highest extrusion ratio of 3.55 in agreement with the improvement in the mechanical properties. The chip length decreased with the increase of the extrusion ratio depending on a decrease in the ductility, while SEM images showed that the AZ31 sample produced using intermediate extrusion ratio had the best hole edge quality and least burr formation.

Automated summary

This study investigates the effect of different extrusion ratios on the drilling machinability of AZ31 magnesium alloy. The results show that thrust force and borehole quality are influenced by the extrusion ratio and cutting parameters. The highest thrust force and surface roughness occur when drilling AZ31 alloy produced with the highest extrusion ratio, while the sample produced with an intermediate extrusion ratio has the best hole edge quality and least burr formation.