Medium-density fibreboard milling using selected technological parameters

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of blade type and sharpness angle on blade wear, cutting power, and surface roughness. The study was conducted on medium-density fibreboard (MDF) panels. Two blade types were analyzed (high-speed steel and cemented carbides) along with three variants of sharpness angles (40°, 45°, and 55°). Machining operations were performed on a spindle moulder at a feed rate of 6.3 m/min and rotational speed of 4500 min-1. The blade wear criterion was adopted as the loss of cutter surface area measured on the rake face. Roughness was determined using the Ra parameter, which was measured at three points on the cross-section of the MDF panel. A new, multifaceted approach to the study of cutting a narrow surface of the MDF board was used, thanks to which the interaction of such parameters as blade wear, cutting power, and machining quality as well as the type of material of the knives and their angular parameters were determined. An increase in blade wear and cutting power was recorded with an increase in cutting path, while roughness at the MDF panel cross-section varied. The cemented carbides cutter with the 45° angle may be proposed as optimal, because it showed a relatively low wear and cutting power while providing good quality of the milled surface.