Investigation for optimal parametric combination for achieving better surface finish during turning of Al/SiC-MMC

This paper presents an experimental investigation of the influence of cutting conditions on surface finish during turning of Al/SiC-MMC. In this study, the Taguchi method, a powerful tool for experiment design,is used to optimise cutting parameters for effective turning of Al/SiC-MMC using a fixed rhombic tooling system. An orthogonal L-27(3(13)) array is used for 3(3) factorial design and analysis of variance (ANOVA) is employed to investigate the influence of cutting speed, feed and depth of cut on the surface roughness height R-a and R-t respectively. The influence of the interaction of cutting speed/feed on the surface roughness height R-a and R-t and the effect of cutting speed on cutting speed/feed two factor cell total interaction for surface roughness height R-a and R-t are analysed through various graphical representations. Taking significant cutting parameters into consideration and using multiple linear-regression, mathematical models relating to surface roughness height R-a and R-t are established to investigate the influence of cutting parameters during turning of Al/SiC-MMC. Confirmation test results established the fact that the mathematical models are appropriate for effectively representing machining performance criteria, e.g. surface roughness heights during turning of Al/SiC-MMC.