A parametric analysis of surface quality in diamond turning of an Al6061/SiC_p metal matrix composite

In this paper, the influence of machining process parameters on surface quality in diamond turning of an A16061/15SiC_p composite is discussed. A series of face cutting tests were performed under various spindle speeds, feed rates and depths of cut. Experimental results reveal that the surface quality is strongly related to spindle speed and feed rate, but is less susceptible to the change of depth of cut. A good surface finishing can be obtained at high spindle speed. Furthermore, there appears an optimal feed rate at which the arithmetic roughness is minimized. Based on these findings, an empirical surface roughness equation was derived using a non-linear multiple regression analysis method. A good correlation between the experimental and the predicted results has been found.