Abstract: The high strain rate in metal cutting significantly affects the mechanical properties of the work piece by altering its properties. This study outlines the material strain rates during elliptical vibration cutting. The finite element analysis, Taguchi method, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were employed to analyze the effects and contributions of cutting and vibration process parameters (feed rate, rake angle, tangential amplitude, and frequency of vibration) on the variation of strain rates during machining of Inconel 718. Taguchi signal-to-noise analysis on an L₁₈ (2¹×3³) orthogonal array was used to determine the optimum parametric combination for the maximum strain rate, and ANOVA was applied to evaluate the significance of control parameter factors on the strain rate. The results of the finite element analysis under different conditions illustrated that the feed rate and rake angle were negatively related to the strain rate, whereas the tangential amplitude and frequency had a positive response. Furthermore, ANOVA results indicated that the effect of the feed rate, tool rake angle, vibration frequency, and tangential amplitude on the strain rate were all statistically significant, with a reliability level of 95%. Of these, the dominant parameter affecting the strain rate was the feed rate, with a percentage contribution of 40.36%. The estimation of the optimum strain rate and confirmation tests proved that the Taguchi method could successfully optimize the working conditions to obtain the desired maximum strain rate.

The full text can be downloaded at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40436-020-00315-0

Key words: Elliptical vibration cutting, Strain rate, Finite element (FE), Taguchi method, Analysis of variance (ANOVA)