Study on machining characteristics of SiC-Al2O3 reinforced aluminum hybrid nanocomposite in conventional and laser-assisted turning br

In the present paper, the laser-assisted machining (LAM) of aluminum nanocomposite reinforced with SiC-Al2O3 nanoparticles was carried out using turning process. The laser power, depth of cut and cutting speed were considered as control factors. The optimization of factors was performed using Taguchi method by seeking the smallest surface roughness and cutting force. The results were compared with conventional machining (CM) process. According to the results, depth of cut had maximum influence on the cutting force in the LAM and CM processes. However, for surface roughness, the cutting speed and feed exhibited the major effect in LAM and CM processes, respectively. Moreover, the LAM had a reduction of 26% in the cutting force in comparison with CM process at optimal conditions. The lower cutting force resulted in a reduction of 51% in the surface roughness during LAM in comparison with CM process.

Automated summary

This study investigated the laser-assisted machining (LAM) of aluminum nanocomposite reinforced with SiC-Al2O3 nanoparticles using the turning process. The factors of laser power, depth of cut, and cutting speed were optimized using the Taguchi method to achieve the smallest surface roughness and cutting force. Results showed that the depth of cut had the greatest influence on cutting force in LAM and conventional machining (CM) processes, while cutting speed and feed rate had the major effect on surface roughness in LAM and CM processes, respectively. LAM exhibited a 26% reduction in cutting force and a 51% decrease in surface roughness compared to CM process under optimal conditions.