The effects of aging on machinability of 6061 aluminium alloy

In this study, the effect of artificial aging on the machinability of 6061 Al-alloy was investigated for the as-received, solution heat treated (SHT) and solution heat treated and then aged (SHTA) conditions. The experimental work has revealed that different aging times at 180 degrees C and the cutting speed significantly affected the machined surface roughness values. However, cutting forces were not influenced significantly by aging and cutting speed except for SHT workpieces having the lowest hardness. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.