Process design and modelling for milling operation of titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) Using the Taguchi method

Abstract

Abstract The right combination of the process parameters that will bring about effective milling operation of titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) is a critical decision which requires scientific basis for its justification. In this work, the Taguchi method involving four factors and three levels was employed for the process optimization during the milling operation of Ti6Al4V. The physical experiments were performed using the DMU80monoBLOCK Deckel Maho 5-axis CNC milling while a stationary dynamometer (KISTLER 9257A 8-Channel Summation of Type 5001A Multichannel Amplifier) was employed for data acquisition in real time. The range of the process parameters employed include: cutting speed (250000-270000 mm/min), feed per tooth (0.02-0.05 mm), axial depth of cut (0.50-3.0 mm) and radial depth of cut (0.06-5.00 mm). Taking the rate of material removal as the response of both the numerical and physical experiments, the statistical analysis of the results obtained produced a mathematical model for the optimization of the process parameters and the rate of material removal during the milling operation of titanium alloy. The optimization produced 81 solutions whose desirability equals to 1 and the optimum values of the process parameters which produced the highest rate of material removal (40935.3 mm3/min) were: speed (260,000 mm/min), feed per tooth (0.03 mm), axial depth of cut (1.50 mm) and radial depth of cut (2.80 mm). The findings of the work will assist the manufacturing industries in the process design, modelling and optimization of the machining process of titanium alloy.