Prediction of cutting force and surface roughness using Taguchi technique for aluminum alloy AA6061

Surface roughness and cutting force are strongly affected by machining parameters. In the past few decades, many researchers have established the relationship between the surface roughness and machining parameters, but less attention has been paid to tool shape and geometry, and the number of tool flutes which affects vibrations and machining system. Therefore, this study includes the tool flutes in addition to cutting speed, depth of cut and feed rate as independent variables. A set of machining experimental work was carried out on vertical milling machine (end milling) and AA6061 was used as the work piece material to provide original data. Response surface method is adopted to establish the relationship between machining parameters to the surface roughness and cutting force using the Taguchi technique. The findings based on analysis of variance and Minitab 16, concluded that surface roughness has only two significant parameters (tool flutes and depth of cut) which affected the surface machining, while cutting force was significantly affected by all machining parameters used in this study. Linear and non-linear models, for surface roughness and cutting force are incorporated. Verifications and optimizations of the results carried out indicated suitability of the technique used in this study.