Factors governing burr formation during high-speed slot milling of wrought aluminum alloys

Abstract

Burr formation and edge finishing are research topics with high relevance to industrial applications. To remove burrs, however, a secondary operation known as deburring is usually required. Deburring is more complex and costly when dealing with milled parts, because multiple burrs form at different locations with various sizes. Therefore, proper selection of process parameters to minimize the burr size is strongly recommended. Therefore, this requires an understanding of milling burr formation mechanism and the governing cutting parameters on milling burrs. In this article, a multilevel experimental study is arranged to investigate the effects of machining conditions, tooling and workpiece materials on burr size (height and thickness). Statistical tools are then used to determine the dominant cutting parameters on burr size and to effectively prescribe an operational window to control and minimize burr formation. It was found that optimum setting levels of process parameters to minimize each burr are different. The analysis of results shows the significant effects of cutting tool, feed per tooth and depth of cut on slot milling burrs.