Optimization of Tangential Cutting Force in Turning Operation in Machining of Unidirectional Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastics

In this paper, Taguchi method is applied to find optimum process parameters for turning UD-GFRP rods using polycrystalline diamond cutting tool. The process parameters considered include cutting speed, depth of cut, cutting environment (dry and wet) and feed rate. The experiments were conducted by L16 orthogonal array as suggested by Taguchi. Signal to Noise ratio and ANOVA are employed to analyses the effect of turning process parameter on the tangential cutting force. The results from confirmation runs indicated that the determined optimal combination of machining parameters improved the performance of the machining process. The percent contributions of cutting speed (2.46%), depth of cut (73.82%), dry and wet (3.89%) and feed rate (8.02%) in affecting the variation of tangential force are significantly larger (95 % confidence level). It has been found that the wet cutting environment reduces the tangential force. Depth of cut is the factor, which has great influence on tangential force, followed by feed rate.