Surface roughness prediction model in end milling of Al/SiC_p MMC by carbide tools

Abstract

The advancement in automation and accuracy of machine tool made it possible to produce high quality industrial products. One of the main perceptions of quality in mechanical products is its physical appearance. One of the most important factors in physical appearance is the surface roughness. A number of research publications addressed this issue of surface roughness measurement and analyses. This research focuses on study and analyses of surface quality improvement in end milling operation of Al/SiC_p metal matrix composite. These materials are selected as they are most widely used in automobile and aerospace industry. This research paper develops an improved mathematical model for surface roughness (Ra) prediction in end milling of Al/SiCp MMC. The impacts of spindle speed, feed rate, depth of cut and various percentage weight of silicon carbide are studied on surface roughness. The result obtained using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) gives a good prediction of surface roughness when compared with actual surface roughness.