Thrust Force Studies in Drilling of Medium Density Fiberboard Panels

Abstract

Medium density fiberboard (MDF) is an engineered wood generally used in wooden industries. Drilling is the most frequently used machining operation in the assembly of furniture working. During drilling cutting forces are developed. These cutting forces are affecting the surface qualities and also causes delamination damage. The cutting conditions and the process parameters play an important role in controlling the cutting forces. The objective of this work is to study the influence of cutting parameters such as spindle speed, feed rate and point angle to reduce the cutting forces developed during drilling. Drilling tests are conducted using Taguchi design of experiments. The mathematical model is developed using response surface methodology (RSM) to evaluate the influence of spindle speed, feed rate and point angle on thrust force. It is seen that high spindle speed with low feed rate combination gives better results in drilling of MDF panels.