Optimization of Machining Parameters for Nylon 6 Composite in CNC Lathe Using PCA-Based TOPSIS

Abstract

This work investigates the parametric optimization of CNC turning operation for Nylon 6 with principal component analysis (PCA) and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) based on Taguchi approach. Taguchi’s L16 orthogonal array takes 16 experimental runs to execute the design matrix of turning parameters through PCA coupled with TOPSIS, utilizing relevant experimental data as obtained through experimentation. Turning speed (TS), feed rate (FD) and depth of cut (DOC) are optimized with the consideration of multiple performance characteristics, namely surface roughness Ra (µm), Rz (µm), material removal rate (MRR) (cm3/sec), and machining time (MT) (sec). The capabilities of the above proposed models have been tested through the analysis of variance. Lastly, confirmation tests were executed to sort a comparison between the experimental results and predicted values. It is found that FD is the most significant parameter followed by TS and DOC. The surface roughness parameters (Ra, Rz) and machining time as smaller the better and MRR as larger the better.