Research

19 pages, 14628 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Machining of Triangular Holes in D2 Steel by the Use of Non-Conventional Electrodes in Die-Sinking Electric Discharge Machining

by Madiha Rafaqat, Nadeem Ahmad Mufti, Muhammad Qaiser Saleem, Naveed Ahmed, Ateekh Ur Rehman and Muhammad Asad Ali

Materials 2023, 16(10), 3865; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma16103865 - 20 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1272

Abstract

Electric discharge machining is relatively a slow process in terms of machining time and material removal rate. The presence of overcut and the hole taper angle caused by the excessive tool wear are other challenges in the electric discharge machining die-sinking process. The [...] Read more.

Electric discharge machining is relatively a slow process in terms of machining time and material removal rate. The presence of overcut and the hole taper angle caused by the excessive tool wear are other challenges in the electric discharge machining die-sinking process. The areas of focus to solve these challenges in the performance of electric discharge machines include increasing the rate of material removal, decreasing the rate of tool wear, and reducing the rate of hole taper angle and overcut. Triangular cross-sectional through-holes have been produced in D2 steel through die-sinking electric discharge machining (EDM). Conventionally, the electrode with uniform triangular cross-section throughout the electrode length is used to machine triangular holes. In this study, new designs of electrodes (non-conventional designs) are employed by introducing circular relief angles. For material removal rate (MRR), tool wear rate (TWR), overcut, taper angle, and surface roughness of the machined holes, the machining performance of conventional and unconventional electrode designs is compared. A significant improvement in MRR (32.6% increase) has been achieved by using non-conventional electrode designs. Similarly, the hole quality resulted by non-conventional electrodes is way better than hole quality corresponding to conventional electrode designs, especially in terms of overcut and hole taper angle. A reduction of 20.6% in overcut and a reduction of 72.5% in taper angle can be achieved through newly designed electrodes. Finally, one electrode design has been selected (electrode with 20 degree relief angle) as the most appropriate electrode resulting in better EDM performance in terms of MRR, TWR, overcut, taper angle, and surface roughness of triangular holes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machining and Surface Properties of Steel Parts)

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19 pages, 27144 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation on the Performance of Coated Carbide Tool during Dry Turning of AISI 4340 Alloy Steel

by Naresh Kumar Wagri, Neelesh Kumar Jain, Anand Petare, Sudhansu Ranjan Das, Mohammed Y. Tharwan, Abdulkarim Alansari, Bader Alqahtani, Majed Fattouh and Ammar Elsheikh

Materials 2023, 16(2), 668; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma16020668 - 10 Jan 2023

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1692

Abstract

The machinability of materials is highly affected by their hardness, and it affects power consumption, cutting tool life as well as surface quality while machining the component. This work deals with machining of annealed AISI 4340 alloy steel using a coated carbide tool [...] Read more.

The machinability of materials is highly affected by their hardness, and it affects power consumption, cutting tool life as well as surface quality while machining the component. This work deals with machining of annealed AISI 4340 alloy steel using a coated carbide tool under a dry environment. The microhardness of annealed and non-annealed workpieces was compared and a significant reduction was found in the microhardness of annealed samples. Microstructure examination of the annealed sample revealed the formation of coarse pearlite which indicated a reduction of hardness and improved ductility. A commercially CVD multilayer (TiN/TiCN/Al₂O₃/ZrCN) coated cemented carbide cutting tool was employed for turning quenched and tempered structural AISI 4340 alloy steel by varying machining speed, rate of feed, and depth of cut to evaluate the surface quality, machining forces, flank wear, and chip morphology. According to the findings of experiments, the feed rate possesses a high impact on surface finish, followed by cutting speed. The prominent shape of the serrated saw tooth chip was noticed at a higher cutting speed. Machined surface finish and cutting forces during turning is a function of the wear profile of the coated carbide insert. This study proves that annealing is a low-cost and economical process to enhance the machinability of alloy steel. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machining and Surface Properties of Steel Parts)

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15 pages, 26820 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluating CNC Milling Performance for Machining AISI 316 Stainless Steel with Carbide Cutting Tool Insert

by Azhar Equbal, Md. Asif Equbal, Md. Israr Equbal, Pranav Ravindrannair, Zahid A. Khan, Irfan Anjum Badruddin, Sarfaraz Kamangar, Vineet Tirth, Syed Javed and M. I. Kittur

Materials 2022, 15(22), 8051; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma15228051 - 15 Nov 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1848

Abstract

The present study investigates the CNC milling performance of the machining of AISI 316 stainless steel using a carbide cutting tool insert. Three critical machining parameters, namely cutting speed (v), feed rate (f) and depth of cut (d), each at three levels, are [...] Read more.

The present study investigates the CNC milling performance of the machining of AISI 316 stainless steel using a carbide cutting tool insert. Three critical machining parameters, namely cutting speed (v), feed rate (f) and depth of cut (d), each at three levels, are chosen as input machining parameters. The face-centred central composite design (FCCCD) of the experiment is based on response surface methodology (RSM), and machining performances are measured in terms of material removal rate (MRR) and surface roughness (SR). Analysis of variance, response graphs, and three-dimensional surface plots are used to analyse experimental results. Multi-response optimization using the data envelopment analysis based ranking (DEAR) approach is used to find the ideal configuration of the machining parameters for milling AISI 316 SS. The variables v = 220 m/min, f = 0.20 mm/rev and d = 1.2 mm were obtained as the optimal machine parameter setting. Study reveals that MRR is affected dominantly by d followed by v. For SR, f is the dominating factor followed by d. SR is found to be almost unaffected by v. Finally, it is important to state that this work made an attempt to successfully machine AISI 316 SS with a carbide cutting tool insert, to investigate the effect of important machining parameters on MRR and SR and also to optimize the multiple output response using DEAR method. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machining and Surface Properties of Steel Parts)

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13 pages, 3036 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tool Wear Prediction When Machining with Self-Propelled Rotary Tools

by Usama Umer, Syed Hammad Mian, Muneer Khan Mohammed, Mustufa Haider Abidi, Khaja Moiduddin and Hossam Kishawy

Materials 2022, 15(12), 4059; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma15124059 - 07 Jun 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1531

Abstract

The performance of a self-propelled rotary carbide tool when cutting hardened steel is evaluated in this study. Although various models for evaluating tool wear in traditional (fixed) tools have been introduced and deployed, there have been no efforts in the existing literature to [...] Read more.

The performance of a self-propelled rotary carbide tool when cutting hardened steel is evaluated in this study. Although various models for evaluating tool wear in traditional (fixed) tools have been introduced and deployed, there have been no efforts in the existing literature to predict the progression of tool wear while employing self-propelled rotary tools. The work-tool geometric relationship and the empirical function are used to build a flank wear model for self-propelled rotary cutting tools. Cutting experiments are conducted on AISI 4340 steel, which has a hardness of 54–56 HRC, at various cutting speeds and feeds. The rate of tool wear is measured at various intervals of time. The constant in the proposed model is obtained using genetic programming. When experimental and predicted flank wear are examined, the established model is found to be competent in estimating the rate of rotary tool flank wear progression. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machining and Surface Properties of Steel Parts)

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16 pages, 5393 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tool Wear Effect on Surface Integrity in AISI 1045 Steel Dry Turning

by Laurence Colares Magalhães, Gabriel Catarino Carlesso, Luis Norberto López de Lacalle, Marcelo Tramontin Souza, Fabiana de Oliveira Palheta and Cristiano Binder

Materials 2022, 15(6), 2031; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma15062031 - 09 Mar 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2078

Abstract

In the present work, the surface integrity and flank wear of uncoated cermet inserts in dry turning of AISI 1045 steel were evaluated. Three-dimensional techniques were used to assess the surface roughness. Previously, finite element analysis was carried out to predict the cutting [...] Read more.

In the present work, the surface integrity and flank wear of uncoated cermet inserts in dry turning of AISI 1045 steel were evaluated. Three-dimensional techniques were used to assess the surface roughness. Previously, finite element analysis was carried out to predict the cutting forces and heat distribution in the chip formation region. Cutting speed and feed were the parameters varied in the experiments. Feed is decisive in the final quality of the turned surface and cutting speed had little influence on this aspect. The surface was significantly damaged with the progression of the insert flank wear. Considering an average flank wear VB_B of 0.1 mm, a tool life of 35 min was achieved using a cutting speed of 175 m/min, and of 23 min for a cutting speed of 275 m/min. Abrasive wear was predominant during the experiments. No microstructure defects were observed, as well as crack propagation or accentuated deformations near the machined surface region. Therefore, the dry turning of 1045 steel with cermet inserts route has proven extremely viable from the standpoints of tool life, surface integrity, chip formation, and sustainability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machining and Surface Properties of Steel Parts)

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14 pages, 1793 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evolutionary Optimization of Machining Parameters Based on Surface Roughness in End Milling of Hot Rolled Steel

by Issam Abu-Mahfouz, Amit Banerjee and Esfakur Rahman

Materials 2021, 14(19), 5494; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14195494 - 23 Sep 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1444

Abstract

Surface roughness measurements of machined parts are usually performed off-line after the completion of the machining operation. The objective of this work is to develop a surface roughness prediction method based on the processing of vibration signals during steel end milling operation performed [...] Read more.

Surface roughness measurements of machined parts are usually performed off-line after the completion of the machining operation. The objective of this work is to develop a surface roughness prediction method based on the processing of vibration signals during steel end milling operation performed on a vertical CNC machining center. The milling cuts were run under varying conditions (such as the spindle speed, feed rate, and depth of cut). This is a first step in the attempt to develop an online milling process monitoring system. The study presented here involves the analysis of vibration signals using statistical time parameters, frequency spectrum, and time-frequency wavelet decomposition. The analysis resulted in the extraction of 245 features that were used in the evolutionary optimization study to determine optimal cutting conditions based on the measured surface roughness of the milled specimen. Three feature selection methods were used to reduce the extracted feature set to smaller subsets, followed by binarization using two binarization methods. Three evolutionary algorithms—a genetic algorithm, particle swarm optimization and two variants, differential evolution and one of its variants, have been used to identify features that relate to the “best” surface finish measurements. These optimal features can then be related to cutting conditions (cutting speed, feed rate, and axial depth of cut). It is shown that the differential evolution and its variant performed better than the particle swarm optimization and its variants, and both differential evolution and particle swarm optimization perform better than the canonical genetic algorithm. Significant differences are found in the feature selection methods too, but no difference in performance was found between the two binarization methods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machining and Surface Properties of Steel Parts)

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37 pages, 38226 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Suppression of the High-Frequency Errors in Surface Topography Measurements Based on Comparison of Various Spline Filtering Methods

by Przemysław Podulka

Materials 2021, 14(17), 5096; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14175096 - 06 Sep 2021

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 2380

Abstract

The metrology of so-called “engineering surfaces” is burdened with a substantial risk of both measurement and data analysis errors. One of the most encouraging issues is the definition of frequency-defined measurement errors. This paper proposes a new method for the suppression and reduction [...] Read more.

The metrology of so-called “engineering surfaces” is burdened with a substantial risk of both measurement and data analysis errors. One of the most encouraging issues is the definition of frequency-defined measurement errors. This paper proposes a new method for the suppression and reduction of high-frequency measurement errors from the surface topography data. This technique is based on comparisons of alternative types of noise detection procedures with the examination of profile (2D) or surface (3D) details for both measured and modelled surface topography data. In this paper, the results of applying various spline filters used for suppressions of measurement noise were compared with regard to several kinds of surface textures. For the purpose of the article, the influence of proposed approaches on the values of surface topography parameters (from ISO 25178 for areal and ISO 4287 for profile standards) was also performed. The effect of the distribution of some features of surface texture on the results of suppressions of high-frequency measurement noise was also closely studied. Therefore, the surface topography analysis with Power Spectral Density, Autocorrelation Function, and novel approaches based on the spline modifications or studies of the shape of an Autocorrelation Function was presented. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machining and Surface Properties of Steel Parts)

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16 pages, 3007 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Clustering Techniques to Predict Surface Roughness during Turning of Stainless-Steel Using Vibration Signals

by Issam Abu-Mahfouz, Amit Banerjee and Esfakur Rahman

Materials 2021, 14(17), 5050; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14175050 - 03 Sep 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1649

Abstract

In metal-cutting processes, the interaction between the tool and workpiece is highly nonlinear and is very sensitive to small variations in the process parameters. This causes difficulties in controlling and predicting the resulting surface finish quality of the machined surface. In this work, [...] Read more.

In metal-cutting processes, the interaction between the tool and workpiece is highly nonlinear and is very sensitive to small variations in the process parameters. This causes difficulties in controlling and predicting the resulting surface finish quality of the machined surface. In this work, vibration signals along the major cutting force direction in the turning process are measured at different combinations of cutting speeds, feeds, and depths of cut using a piezoelectric accelerometer. The signals are processed to extract features in the time and frequency domains. These include statistical quantities, Fast Fourier spectral signatures, and various wavelet analysis extracts. Various feature selection methods are applied to the extracted features for dimensionality reduction, followed by applying several outlier-resistant unsupervised clustering algorithms on the reduced feature set. The objective is to ascertain if partitions created by the clustering algorithms correspond to experimentally obtained surface roughness data for specific combinations of cutting conditions. We find 75% accuracy in predicting surface finish from the Noise Clustering Fuzzy C-Means (NC-FCM) and the Density-Based Spatial Clustering Applications with Noise (DBSCAN) algorithms, and upwards of 80% accuracy in identifying outliers. In general, wrapper methods used for feature selection had better partitioning efficacy than filter methods for feature selection. These results are useful when considering real-time steel turning process monitoring systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machining and Surface Properties of Steel Parts)

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8 pages, 5091 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of the Possibility of Using 1.4462 and 1.4501 Steel as a Construction Material for Apparatus Operating at an Increased Temperature and with Corrosive Factors

by Karol Prałat, Andżelika Krupińska, Marek Ochowiak, Sylwia Włodarczak, Magdalena Matuszak, Justyna Ciemnicka, Artur Koper and Karolina Wójcicka

Materials 2021, 14(14), 4014; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14144014 - 18 Jul 2021

Viewed by 1330

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the requirements for steels used as construction materials for chemical apparatus operating at an elevated temperature and to correlate them with the properties of the tested steels. The experimental part examined the influence of the [...] Read more.

The objective of this study was to determine the requirements for steels used as construction materials for chemical apparatus operating at an elevated temperature and to correlate them with the properties of the tested steels. The experimental part examined the influence of the annealing process on the structure and properties of X2CrNiMoN22-5-3 (1.4462) and X2CrNiMoCuWN25-7-4 (1.4501) steel. Heat treatment was carried out on the tested samples at a temperature of 600 °C and 800 °C. Changes were observed after the indicated time intervals of 250 and 500 h. In order to determine the differences between the initial state and after individual annealing stages, metallographic specimens were performed, the structure was analyzed using an optical microscope and the micro-hardness was measured using the Vickers method. Potentiostatic tests of the samples were carried out to assess the influence of thermal process parameters on the electrochemical properties of the passive layer. An increase in the hardness of the samples was observed with increasing temperature and annealing time, the disappearance of magnetic properties for both samples after annealing at the temperature of 800 °C, as well as a significant deterioration in corrosion resistance in the case of treatment at a higher temperature. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machining and Surface Properties of Steel Parts)

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