US EPA

1773596 

Journal Article 

Machinability study on discontinuously reinforced aluminium composites (DRACs) using response surface methodology and Taguchi's design of experiments under dry cutting condition 

Shetty, R; Pai, R; Rao, SS; Kamath, V 

2008 

1 

Maejo International Journal of Science and Technology
ISSN: 1905-7873 

2 

1 

227-239 

WOS:000263289200013 

The development of metal matrix composites with
discontinuous reinforcement represents a well-established method for improving the strength and
stiffness of a material. This paper discusses the use of Taguchi's design of experiments and
response surface methodology (RSM) for minimising the surface roughness in turning of
discontinuously reinforced aluminium composites (DRACs) having aluminum alloy 6061 as the matrix
and containing 15 vol. % of silicon carbide particles with a mean diameter of 25 mu m under dry
cutting condition. The measured results are then collected and analysed with the help of a
commercial software package MINITAB15. The experiments are conducted using Taguchi's
experimental design technique. The matrices of test conditions include cutting speed, feed rates
and depth of cut. The effect of cutting parameters on surface roughness is evaluated and the
optimum cutting condition for minimising the surface roughness is determined. A second-order
model is established between the cutting parameters and the surface roughness using RSM. The
experimental results reveal that the most significant machining parameter for surface roughness
is feed, followed by cutting speed. The predicted values and measured values are fairly close,
which indicates that the developed model can be effectively used to predict the surface roughness
in the machining of DRACs. 

discontinuously reinforced aluminium composites (DRACs); metal matrix composites (MMCs); surface roughness; Taguchi's design of experiments; response surface methodology