Dry and Oil Mist Milling of Aluminium Matrix Composite Reinforced With Saffil Fibres

Abstract

The research involved the milling of an aluminium-based composite. The reinforcement of the tested material was Al2O3 fibres. The volume content of the reinforcement in the material was 10%. The composite was subjected to dry and with the oil mist lubrication milling, the so-called Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL). The quantity of oil mist was 125 and 250 ml/h. The tool used was a milling head with six replaceable cutting inserts. Experimental tests were carried out in variable conditions, in a wide range of cutting parameters, i.e. vc = 89-227 m/min and vf = 18-112 mm/min. The technological effects measured were the Fx, Fy and Fx components of the cutting force and the 3D surface roughness. Three roughness parameters were selected for detailed analyses: Sa, Sq and Sz. The article proves that the use of oil mist milling assistance, compared to dry machining, reduces both the cutting force and the surface roughness of the machined aluminum composite. Moreover, it was found that the positive effect of application also depends on the oil mist output. Appropriate selection of machining conditions allows you to reduce cutting force components by 32-45% and surface roughness by up to 70%.