Influence of Work and Tool Materials on Parameters of Electrical Discharge Machining (Edm)

Influence of the properties of work and tool materials on material removal rate (MRR), tool wear ratio (TWR), thickness of the recast layer, surface roughness and accuracy of machining in EDM process has been investigated. Copper brass, stainless steel, mild steel and grey cast irou have been used in various combinations as work and tool materials. From the experimental results it is found that MRR slows down with machining time. Apart from that it has been found that MRR and TWR are inversely proportional to the melting points of the work and tool materials respectively. Electrical conductivity of the tool material also has appreciable influence on tool wear ratio. Wear ratio was found to be minimum in the case of the copper electrode having maximum electrical conductivity.  It has been also observed that for all combinations of work and tool materials, a recast layer is formed on the machined surface. It has been observed that the micro cavities formed in the cases of lower melting point electrode materials like copper and brass having higher electrical conductivity are comparatively smaller in size (2-3 ?m) as compared to the sizes of the micro cavities (8-20 ?m) formed in the cases of high melting pointer electrodes having also lower electrical conductivity. Consequenty the machined surface roughness produced in the latter cases is higher.  It has been also observed that the debris concentration increases due to side sparking of the electrode. The tendency of debris concentration is the maximum at the middle of the tool-job interface resulting in high bottom surface inaccuracy, specially when high melting point work materials are machined with electrodes like brass having low melting point and relatively lower electrical conductivity. From the point of view of MRR, brass electrodes have been found to be the most suitable tool, but from the point of view of machining accuracy and surface finish copper electrodes were found to yield the best result for the given set of job materials. So it was concluded that brass electrodes should be recommended for rough machining and copper electrodes for finish machining of the given work materials

Influence of Cutting Parameters on Chatter and Tool Wear During End Milling of Stainless Steel Conducted on VMC

Stainless steels are a group of difficult to machine work materials. The difficulty in machining stainless steels is manifested in high contact length and stresses, formation of serrated chips and development of chatter resulting in high tool wear rates and poor machined surface finish. The paper focuses on the performance of TiN coated-carbide inserts in machining stainless steel specimens in end milling operation performed on vertical machining centre (VMC). The performance of the tool is evaluated from the point of view of its wear intensity, mechanism of failure and generation and effect of chatter on tool wear and vice versa. The investigations were aimed at determining the effect of cutting parameters, specifically cutting speed, feed and depth of cut, on chatter amplitude, tool wear rate, mechanism of tool wear and using these data and machined surface roughness values from previous work to come up with recommended values of cutting parameters for semi-finish and finish end milling operation of stainless steel work materials. For recording vibration signals a dual channel portable signal analyzers was used and the signals were analyzed using Pulse Multi-analyzer version 4.2 software. Tool wear was measured using an optical microscope with digital readout capabilities along 3 axes. The tool wear mechanisms were studied under a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Results of the investigation show that acceleration amplitudes generally increase with cutting speed and the magnitude of tool flank wears. It has been also found that an increase in feed and depth of cut leads to higher acceleration amplitudes. The most common wear mechanisms observed during machining of stainless steel are attrition, micro and macro chipping of the tool at lower cutting speeds, and diffusion and mechanical failures due to intensive chatter at higher speeds. It has been also established that stable cutting speeds with relatively low tool wear intensity and satisfactory machined surface finish can be achieved through proper selection of cutting parameters. A table of recommended cutting conditions has been developed for almost chatter free machining with low tool wear intensity and satisfactory surface finish. Key Words: Vertical Machining Centre, Machinability, Chatter, Cutting, Tool life

Influence of Chatter of VMC Arising During End Milling Operation and Cutting Conditions on Quality of Machined Surface

Machine tool chatter is a dynamic instability of the cutting process. Chatter results in poor part surface finish, damaged cutting tool, and an irritating and unacceptable noise. Exten¬sive research has been undertaken to study the mechanisms of chatter formation. Efforts have been also made to prevent the occurrence of chatter vibration. Even though some progress have been made, fundamental studies on the mechanics of metal cutting are necessary to achieve chatter free operation of CNC machine tools to maintain their smooth operating cycle. The same is also true for Vertical Machining Centres (VMC), which operate at high cutting speeds and are capable of offering high metal removal rates. The present work deals with the effect of work materials, cutting conditions and diameter of end mill cutters on the frequency-amplitude characteristics of chatter and on machined surface roughness. Vibration data were recorded using an experimental rig consisting of KISTLER 3-component dynamometer model 9257B, amplifier, scope meters and a PC.  Three different types of vibrations were observed. The first type was a low frequency vibration, associated with the interrupted nature of end mill operation. The second type of vibration was associated with the instability of the chip formation process and the third type was due to chatter. The frequency of the last type remained practically unchanged over a wide range of cutting speed.  It was further observed that chip-tool contact processes had considerable effect on the roughness of the machined surface. Key Words: Chatter, Cutting Conditions, Stable Cutting, Surface Roughness