Burr height and hole diameter error minimization in drilling of AL6063/15%/SiC composites using HSS step drills

Abstract

In drilling process, burr plays an important role on the quality parts. It is necessary to minimize the burr height. This paper presents the effect of CNC drilling process parameters like cutting speed, feed rate, step angle and cutting environment on burr height and hole diameter error of Al6063/15%/SiC composites. The composites are fabricated using mechanical stir casting. An experimental study on composites was conducted using three HSS drills. The Taguchi design of experiments and analysis of variance (ANOVA) are used to optimize the response for Al6063/15%/SiC composites. The results revealed that the quality of the holes can be improved by proper selection of cutting process parameters. SEM analysis and XRD analysis are also carried for composite, drilled surface and drill bits. These analysis provide the good agreement with the effect of cutting parameters on burr height and hole diameter error.