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Study on Cutting Forces and Material Removal Rate in Hard Milling of SKD
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中國機械工程學刊第三十八卷第一期第41~51頁(民國一百零六年)
Journal of the Chinese Society of Mechanical Engineers, Vol.38, No.1, pp 41~51 (2017)
Study on Cutting Forces and Material Removal
Rate in Hard Milling of SKD 61 Alloy Steel
Huu-That Nguyen* and Quang-Cherng Hsu**
Keywords: Cutting force, Material removal rate,
Hard milling, Multi-objective optimization
ABSTRACT
This paper analyzes the effect of machining
parameters on cutting forces and material removal
rate (MRR) in hard milling of hardened SKD 61
alloy steel based on integration of Taguchi
method and response surface methodology (RSM).
A set of experiments is designed according to the
Taguchi technique. The cutting force components
are measured by a dynamometer, and then
analysis of variance (ANOVA) is carried out to
determine the influences of cutting parameters on
the given cutting force components. Quadratic
mathematical models are developed for prediction
of the cutting forces during the hard milling
process. To obtain the minimum cutting forces
and the maximum MRR, the multi-objective
optimization is conducted to find out the optimal
machining conditions. In addition, the validation
test is also accomplished to demonstrate the
accuracy of optimization. The results reveal that
the percentage errors between the predicted and
experimental values for normal cutting force, feed
force, axial force and MRR are 5.46%, 7.38%,
7.87% and 1.06%, respectively.
INTRODUCTION
Traditionally, the mold and die manufacturing
process often consists of rough machining, heat
treatment, and then a grinding process. This
process is both costly and time-consuming.
Furthermore, the quality of the machined surface
Paper Received May, 2016. Revised October, 2016. Accepted
November, 2016. Author for Correspondence:Quang-Cherng
Hsu
*
Ph.D. student, Department of Mechanical Engineering,
National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences,
Kaohsiung, Taiwan 807, ROC
**
Corresponding Author: Professor, Department of
Mechanical Engineering, National Kaohsiung University
of Applied Sciences, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 807, ROC;
Email: hsuqc@kuas.edu.tw
-41-
produced by the grinding operation is prone to
thermal damage [1-3].
Nowadays, in order to enhance production
and product quality in the mold and die
manufacturing industry, the finish grinding
process is often replaced by the finish hard
milling operation [4-6]. The hard milling is
cutting of the hardened materials with the
hardness range from 40 HRC to 70 HRC. The
benefits of hard milling process are improvable
fatigue life of the machined parts and minimal
compressive residual stresses [4, 7]. Compared to
grinding process, the hard milling has a short
product cycle time, a high MRR, and a flexible
process design. However, the disadvantages of
hard milling are increase in cutting force and
reduction of tool life compared to machining soft
materials [8].
In hard milling, the cutting forces and MRR
are two important factors affecting the machining
performance and the accuracy of the machined
surface. The high cutting forces and large MRR
can cause machined workpiece deformation,
dimension error, surface location error and
instability of machining systems [9]. Therefore,
modeling and optimization of cutting forces and
MRR are the important tasks frequently
encountered in hard machining operations.
In recent years, many authors have
effectively applied the statistical analysis method
used to analyze the effect of the cutting conditions
on the cutting forces found in hard machining
processes. For instance, Ö zel et al. [10] reported
the influences of workpiece hardness, cutting
edge geometry, cutting speed, and feed rate on
resultant forces and surface roughness in the
finish hard turning of AISI H13 steel. Bartarya
and Choudhury [11] analyzed the influence of
cutting parameters such as cutting speed, feed rate
and depth of cut on surface roughness and cutting
forces in the hard turning operation of EN 31 steel.
The experiments were designed by the full
factorial experimental design method. By analysis
of variance, it was found that the depth of cut was
a primary factor affecting the cutting force

obtained. Based on the regression analysis method,
the second-order mathematical models were
developed for estimating the cutting forces. Ding
et al. [12] optimized the machining process
parameters and developed the experimental
equation for surface roughness and cutting forces
during milling of AISI H13 hardened alloy steel
with (Ti, Al) N-TiN coated inserts. They indicated
that the feed rate and depth of cut are two main
parameters which affect cutting forces. Paiva et al.
[13] investigated the effect of cutting parameters
on cutting time, tool life, material removal rate
and surface roughness. Lalwani et al. [14] studied
the influence of cutting parameters on surface
roughness and cutting forces in finish hard turning
of MDN250 steel. Çalışkan et al. [15]
investigated the effect of cutting parameters (i.e.,
cutting speed, feed rate, and depth of cut) and the
coated inserts (AlTiN/TiN, TiAlSiN/TiSiN/TiAlN,
and TiN/TiAlN) on surface roughness and cutting
forces during face milling of AISI O2 cold-work
tool steel. The design of experiments was
performed based on a full factorial design by
RSM. They concluded that the feed rate and depth
of cut are found to be significantly influential
factors on cutting forces with a 95% confidence
level. Bouacha et al. [16] researched the effect of
cutting parameters on surface roughness and
cutting forces in the hard turning of AISI 52100
bearing steel hardened to 64 HRC with CBN tool
using RSM. They noted that the depth of cut has a
significant influence on cutting forces as
compared to cutting speed and the feed rate
employed. Aouici et al. [17] investigated the hard
turning of AISI D3 cold-work steel with ceramic
tools. The experiments were created by the use of
the Taguchi method. The effect of control factors
(i.e., cutting speed, feed rate and depth of cut) on
cutting forces was analyzed by ANOVA. The
quadratic models were developed by RSM. They
revealed that the depth of cut is found to be the
most influential factor on cutting forces.
In addition, many researchers have
successfully applied the new optimization
methods used to determine the optimal cutting
conditions for machining processes. For Example,
Bouzid et al. [18] reported the multi-objective
optimization of surface roughness and MRR
during turning of X20Cr13 stainless steel by using
Taguchi method combined with the Grey
relational analysis. Tsao [19] presented the
optimization of cutting parameters for milling of
aluminium alloy by Grey- Taguchi method. Gupta
et al. [20] applied Taguchi-fuzzy techniques for
multi-objective optimization in high speed CNC
turning of AISI P-20 tool steel. Bajić et al. [21]
studied the effects of cutting parameters on
cutting force, surface roughness, and tool wear in
-42-
J. CSME Vol.38, No.1(2017)
face milling by using regression analysis and
neural network methods.
Much of the above research refers to the
cutting process parameters chosen for the hard
machining process according to the researchers’
experience without taking into consideration the
dynamic behaviors of the machine tools involved.
Given the nature of these approaches, it does
not entirely reflect the aspects of the hard
machining process.
Moreover, several of the studies conducted
on the optimal manufacturing process have been
performed in order to minimize cost, to improve
product quality, and to enhance performance
through the use of numerous diverse methods.
Unfortunately, each methodology achieves a
differing levels of efficiency in the computational
process. No recent method has yet to provide for
the same degree of accuracy within all aspects of
the machining process.
In this study, an attempt has been made
to produce optimum machining parameters in the
hard milling of hardened SKD 61 alloy steel with
TiAlN coated carbide end mills based on the
integration of the Taguchi technique and RSM.
The research is carried out in the following
manner. First, the cutting parameters are chosen
based on both the tool manufac-
turer's recommendations and the structural
dynamic analysis of the machine tool. Second, a
set of tests is designed using the Taguchi
technique. Third, the effect of cutting parameters
on the given cutting forces is analyzed by
ANOVA. Next, the quadratic models are
developed for prediction of the cutting forces
during the hard milling process. Finally, in order
to get the minimum cutting forces and the
maximum MRR, multi-objective optimization is
also performed.
EXPERIMENTAL DETAILS
Workpiece material
In this research, the workpiece material was a
block of SKD 61 alloy steel, which has the
dimensions of 200 mm x 100 mm x 40 mm. The
workpieces were through hardened and tempered
to obtain the different hardness levels, namely 40,
45, and 50 HRC. Their chemical compositions
were 0.39 %C, 1.0 %Si, 0.4 %Mn, 5.15 %Cr,
1.4 %Mo, 0.8 %V, and 0.2 %Ni.
Tools, machine tools
The cutting tools, which used in hard milling
tests, were M520 ultra carbide end mills of 10
mm diameter, 35 degrees of helix angle, square
type, 4 flutes, were made by the CMTec tool
H.T. Nguyen and Q.C. Hsu: Study on Cutting Forces and Material Removal Rate in Hard Milling.

company. These tools were coated with TiAlN Identification of cutting conditions for the hard
and their cutting ability can reach to 60 HRC for milling test
the hardened tool steels. All the experiments were
performed under dry condition at a Victor V- In this study, the cutting conditions for the
Center-4 Vertical machining center, which has a hard milling test were selected based on both the
maximum spindle speed of 6,000rpm. The cutting tool manufacturer’s recommendation and
workpieces were clamped on the machine table to the structural dynamic analysis of a machine tool.
ensure rigidity during the machining process. The dynamic analysis of a machine tool was
Table 1 Experimental conditions for calculating carried out by use of CUTPRO software. The
the cutting constants CUTPRO is an advanced machining software. It
is developed at the Manufacturing Automation
Test Spindle Feed Depth Material Laboratory. It can provide a high efficiency
speed, rate, of cut hardness solution for the metal machining field. The
n (rpm) f (mm/ a H procedure of structural dynamic analysis of
tooth) (mm) (HRC) machine tool was given in Figure 1.
1 850 0.050 0.3 50 First, the measurements of the machine tool
2 850 0.075 0.3 50 dynamics were carried out by tap testing (hammer
3 850 0.100 0.3 50 test). The structural dynamics of machine tool in
4 850 0.125 0.3 50 both the X and Y directions were measured
5 850 0.150 0.3 50 through the Kistler 9722A2000 Hammer (2.13
mV/N sensitivity) and the 8778A500 M14
accelerometer (10mV/g sensitivity). The cutting
tool was clamped on the machine’s spindle head
to carry out the various measurement tasks
involved. The accelerometer was mounted on the
cutter and connect to the signal processing box.
After tap testing, the frequency response functions
(FRF) of the structure were obtained in both
directions by the use of the MALTF program in
CUTPRO software, which was installed in a PC
system.
Figure 1 Illustrations of dynamic parameter Second, the slotting milling tests were
measurement of machine tool performed to identify cutting coefficients of a
tool/ material pairing as shown in Figure 2. The
Table 2 Average cutting coefficients of SKD 61 input parameters of the cutting tests were listed in
Table 1 [22]. The cutting force components in
Kte Ktc three directions were measured with a piezo-
-66.743 -654.089
(N/mm) (N/mm2) electric, three-component dynamometer (type X-
Kre Krc Y-Z FORCE SENSOR, model 624-120-5KN) and
-89.743 -2868.340
(N/mm) (N/mm2) a System 6000’s Model 6100 scanner connected
Kae Kac to a PC employing Strain Smart force
13.832 645.043
(N/mm) (N/mm2) measurement software. In this system, a digital
filter was applied to filter out the noise signal.
This digital filter is based on the fast Fourier
transform algorithm. For each machining
condition, 1000 data points for each of the three
channels were recorded by sampling at 1000 Hz
for a period of 1 second duration. According to
the measured cutting force data, the average
cutting forces in three directions ( Fxc , Fyc , Fzc )
for each cutting condition were determined. The
average cutting force coefficients were calculated
by using the average cutting forces obtained
through the use of the CUTPRO software. The
model of average cutting force coefficients was
Figure 2 Set up test for identification of cutting given in Equation 1 [22].
constants
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 J. CSME Vol.38, No.1(2017)

4 Fyc π Fye DESIGN OF EXPERIMENTS

K tc  , Kte  ,
Na Na
Taguchi technique
 4 Fxc  π Fxe (1)
K rc  , K re  ,
Na Na Taguchi technique is a powerful and effective
π Fzc 2F method which is widely used for the design of
K ac  , K ae  ze ,
Na Na experiments in engineering fields. In this research,
the Taguchi technique was applied for the design
of all the experiments in hard milling of SKD 61
Where, Ktc, Krc, Kac are cutting coefficients of steel. The input variables and its values were
the tool/workpiece material pairing in tangential, given in Table 3. With four three-level factors,
radial and axial directions [N/mm2]; Kte, Kre, Kae Taguchi’s L27 orthogonal array having 27 rows
are edge cutting coefficients of the cutting tool in and 13 columns was selected to create a set of
tangential, radial and axial directions [N/mm]; N tests in the design process. In order to avoid
is the number of teeth on the cutter; a is depth of overlap of the interactions with the main factors,
cut; F ye , Fxe , Fze are average edge cutting the columns that were chosen are 1, 3, 5, and 12
forces in three directions [N]. After calculating for [23].
average cutting force coefficients, the particular
results were revealed in Table 2. Response surface methodology
Third, once the FRF was measured and the
cutting force coefficients were also determined, The second-order model was developed
these data were exemplified in the CUTPRO based on RSM which is a statistical and
software to make the stability lobe diagram, as mathematical technique [24]. In machining
shown in Figure 3. research, the relationship between the machining
parameters and the cutting force might be
expressed by the equation as follows [25]:

lnF = A1lnV + A2lnf + A3lna + A4lnH + A5 (2)

Where, F is the cutting force; A1, A2, A3, A4

and A5 are constants; V, f, a, and H are cutting
speed (m/min), feed rate (mm/tooth), axial depth
of cut (mm) and material hardness (HRC),
respectively.
The cutting force is characterized by a
second-order polynomial for “k” input factors. It
can be noted in Equation 3.

k k k
Figure 3 Analytical stability lobe diagram for hard
milling test
y  0    i xi    ii xi2   ij xi x j  
i 1 i 1 i, j
Finally, the cutting speed and the depth of cut (3)
in a stable cutting region were selected based Where, y is the response characteristic
upon the analytical stability lobe diagram. With (output factor), xi is coded variable, βi is the
this approach, the selected cutting condition coefficient of first-order terms, βii is the
parameters for hard milling of SKD 61 alloy steel coefficients of second-order terms, and βij is the
were shown in Table 3. coefficient of interactive terms of the equation.

Table 3 Levels of input variables RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Factors Code of levels
1 2 3 During the hard milling process, the cutting
forces in three directions (i.e., the normal force Fx,
Cutting speed, V (m/min) 25 35 45
Spindle speed, n (rpm) 796 1115 1433 the feed force Fy, and the axial force Fz) were
measured by a dynamometer. In this research, we
Feed rate, f (mm/tooth) 0.01 0.02 0.03
offered an average peak force to calculate the
Depth of cut, a (mm) 0.2 0.3 0.4
values of cutting force components.
Hardness, H (HRC) 40 45 50
-44-
H.T. Nguyen and Q.C. Hsu: Study on Cutting Forces and Material Removal Rate in Hard Milling.

Table 4 Experimental results

V f a H Fx Fy Fz MRR
Runs
(m/min) (mm/tooth) (mm) (HRC) (N) (N) (N) (mm3/min)
1 25 0.01 0.2 40 26.59 24.47 9.53 63.69
2 25 0.01 0.3 45 54.95 36.59 11.63 95.54
3 25 0.01 0.4 50 75.43 56.73 17.3 127.39
4 25 0.02 0.2 50 64.57 55.77 15.73 127.39
5 25 0.02 0.3 40 56.40 48.03 12.93 191.08
6 25 0.02 0.4 45 71.10 51.30 16.50 254.78
7 25 0.03 0.2 45 47.37 37.53 16.44 191.08
8 25 0.03 0.3 50 98.57 87.19 17.79 286.62
9 25 0.03 0.4 40 101.03 83.37 15.50 382.17
10 35 0.01 0.2 45 29.53 23.53 9.10 89.17
11 35 0.01 0.3 50 52.20 44.80 11.50 133.76
12 35 0.01 0.4 40 71.00 52.53 14.50 178.34
13 35 0.02 0.2 40 39.73 33.50 14.47 178.34
14 35 0.02 0.3 45 49.57 43.73 15.13 267.52
15 35 0.02 0.4 50 112.9 85.90 15.70 356.69
16 35 0.03 0.2 50 60.37 44.47 18.93 267.52
17 35 0.03 0.3 40 87.00 71.63 15.53 401.27
18 35 0.03 0.4 45 96.23 74.70 16.10 535.03
19 45 0.01 0.2 50 34.60 28.80 9.67 114.65
20 45 0.01 0.3 40 28.87 29.80 9.40 171.97
21 45 0.01 0.4 45 44.63 45.63 14.13 229.30
22 45 0.02 0.2 45 44.90 39.57 13.53 229.30
23 45 0.02 0.3 50 76.77 58.43 15.53 343.95
24 45 0.02 0.4 40 71.20 51.00 13.27 458.60
25 45 0.03 0.2 40 25.80 20.90 16.47 343.95
26 45 0.03 0.3 45 72.13 59.30 17.20 515.92
27 45 0.03 0.4 50 129.77 86.63 17.70 687.90

The determination of the values of the
cutting force components was accomplished in
the following manner. First, ten cutting periods
were selected in a steady region, then the peak
force was determined in each period, and finally it
was further determined that the averaged value of
all the peak forces.
In addition, during the milling operation, the
MRR in mm3/min could be calculated from
Equation 4 [26].
a  ae  V  f  z  1000
M R R (4)
3.14  d
Where, V is the cutting speed (m/min), f is
the feed rate (mm/tooth), a is the depth of cut
(mm), ae is the width of cut (mm), z is the flute of
the cutter, and d is the diameter of the tool (mm).
ANOVA for the response surface
ANOVA is a statistical analysis which is
commonly applied to evaluate the data of
-45-
experiments. In this research work, the analysis of
direct and interactive effect of the input factors (V,
f, a, and H) on the cutting forces has been
conducted through ANOVA. The regression
equation and investigated factors are called upon
to be statistically significant if the estimated
regression coefficient (P) value in the ANOVA
Table is less than 0.05. Besides, the percentage
contribution of terms in the estimated model (%C)
on the total variation are also considered to
evaluate the influence degree of the controllable
factors on the model.
In this study, Minitab 16 software is used for
ANOVA of the response surface. The Minitab is a
statistical analysis software. It is used for
analyzing the experimental data in the metal
cutting field. According to the experimental data
in Table 4, the ANOVA is conducted and its
results are represented in Tables 5. Study of this
table indicates that the developed models are
found to be statistically significant, with 95%
confidence interval, and they are suitable for the
Taguchi experiment with the model’s P- value of
 J. CSME Vol.38, No.1(2017)

less than 0.05. Moreover, the model terms with a
P- value of less than 0.05 reveal that they have a
significant effect on the cutting force models in
the investigated range.
In addition, in statistics, R-squared (R2) is
called the coefficient of determination for
regression analysis that is used to explain the
goodness-of-fit of the model to the experimental
data. According to ANOVA, the R2 values of the
cutting force models are 92.28%, 89.45% and
94.72%, respectively as shown in Tables 5. These
values are very close to 1. This indicates that the
cutting force models perfectly fit with the
measured data.
On the other hand, Table 5 shows that the
first-order effect of the feed rate (f), the depth of
cut (a), and the material hardness (H), which all
have a significant influence on the Fx. However,
the depth of cut is the most influential parameter
on the Fx, which explains a 45.42% contribution
to model. The next influential factors are the feed
rate (25.56% contribution) and the material
hardness (10.97% contribution). Similarly, Table
5 describes that the main influential factor on the
feed force is the depth of cut with a 41.99%
contribution to the model. The feed rate and the
material hardness are the next factors affecting the
Fy. Respectively, their contributions to the model
are 26.73% and 9.59%.
Contrary to the model Fx and Fy, the resulting
ANOVA of the model Fz, which is notified in
Table 5, shows that the feed rate is the most
influential parameter on axial force Fz, with a
55.44 % contribution. The following effects on
the Fz are material hardness (H) and the depth of
cut (a). Its contributions are (9.17 and 7.79) %,
respectively. The cutting speed factor are not
statistically significant in this case.
In order to clarify this research work, a
qualitative comparison can be conducted with
other authors. An et al. [27] report that the cutting
speed is a main effective factor on the cutting
forces when hard milling of high strength steel.
However, Abou-El-Hossein et al. [25] indicate
that the most influential parameters among the
given parameters on cutting forces is feed rate
significantly effective factors on the cutting forces
are the depth of cut and the feed rate. This can be
explained by the fact that the increasing both
depth of cut and feed rate producing an increase
of chip load and thus a large amount of energy is
required to form a chip in the shear zone; so, it is
relatively difficult to remove the material in hard
milling operation [28].
Cutting force models based RSM
The quadratic mathematical models used in
this research are based on the experimental data,
and they have been made by using RSM for
predicting the cutting forces in the hard milling.
These models are evaluated through ANOVA, and
the results are given in Equations 5-7, respectively,
for Fx, Fy, Fz.
The regression model of the normal force
(Fx) is found in Equation 5 with R2 of 92.28%.
Fx = 828 + 0.08V – 2886f + 132a – 37.9H –
0.0398V2 – 21995f 2 – 30a2 + 0.428H2 + 29.1Vf +
1.38Va + 0.0299VH + 7015fa + 51.4fH – 1.79aH
(5)
The regression model of the feed force (Fy) is
shown in Equation 6 with R2 of 89.45%.
Fy = 536 + 2.06V + 219f + 151a – 27.1H –
0.0270V2 – 14366f 2 – 348a2 + 0.312H2 – 26.4Vf +
1.21Va – 0.0078VH + 5504fa + 19.3fH + 1.34aH
(6)
The regression model of the axial force (Fz)
is described in Equation 7 with R2 of 94.72%.
Fz = 9.9 – 0.079V + 434f + 17.5a – 0.40H –
0.00093V2 – 3989f 2 + 62.5a2 + 0.0043H2 +
5.68Vf – 0.346Va + 0.00220VH –1736fa + 6.61fH
+ 0.026aH (7)
140
Variables
Measured Fx
120 Predicted Fx
Measured Fy
Predicted Fy
100 Measured Fz
Cutting forces (N)

followed by axial depth of cut, and radial depth of Predicted Fz

cut when end milling of AISI P20 tool steel, 80

whereas, cutting speed is an insignificant factor.

60
Ding et al. [12] show that the feed rate and depth
of cut are two main parameters which affect 40
cutting forces during milling of AISI H13
hardened alloy steel. Çalışkan et al. [15] also 20

conclude that the feed rate and depth of cut are 0

found to be significantly influential factors on 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27
cutting forces with a 95% confidence level in face Experiments
milling of AISI O2 cold-work tool steel. Figure 4 Comparison between predicted and
The current study shows that the two measured values for Fx, Fy and Fz.

-46-
H.T. Nguyen and Q.C. Hsu: Study on Cutting Forces and Material Removal Rate in Hard Milling.

Table 5 Analysis of variance of model for the cutting forces

Source Degree of Sum of Mean F- P- %C-
freedom squares squares variance Regression Contrib-
ratio coefficient ution
ANOVA of model for Fx, R2= 92.28%
Model 14 18107.7 1293.41 10.24 0.000 92.28
V 1 246.7 246.74 1.95 0.188 1.26
f 1 5015.6 5015.65 5015.6 0.000 25.56
a 1 8912.8 8912.83 70.57 0.000 45.42
H 1 2152.7 2152.65 17.04 0.001 10.97
ANOVA of model for Fy, R2= 89.45%
Model 14 9230.5 659.32 7.27 0.001 89.45
V 1 206.1 206.10 2.27 0.158 2.00
f 1 2758.4 2758.35 30.42 0.000 26.73
a 1 4332.8 4332.84 47.78 0.000 41.99
H 1 989.9 989.91 989.91 0.006 9.59
ANOVA of model for Fz, R2= 94.72%
Model 14 191.411 13.672 15.37 0.000 94.72
V 1 2.313 2.313 2.60 0.133 1.14
f 1 112.035 15.745 17.70 0.000 55.44
a 1 15.745 15.745 17.70 0.001 7.79
H 1 18.533 18.533 20.83 0.001 9.17

The comparison of the predicted values and
the measured values is illustrated in Figure 4. It
shows a good correlation between experimental
and predicted results, and thus the established
models could be utilized to forecast the cutting
forces in the hard milling of SKD 61 steel with
95% confidence intervals.
Effect of the input variables on the cutting
force models
To obviously understand the interactive
influence of input parameters on output response,
the surface graphs for the cutting force models are
produced based on Equations 5-7. With four input
control factors considered, each of the 3D plots is
drawn according to the change occurring in two
of the factors. The remaining factors of the
models are seen as a constant and they are held in
the middle level. Therefore, all the plots of the
response surface are illustrated in Figures 5-7.
Figures 5a-c exhibit the relationship of the
normal force Fx with the investigating parameters.
Figure 5a indicates the influence of cutting speed
(V) and feed rate (f) on the normal force Fx. It
reveals that increasing the cutting speed and
decreasing the feed rate will lead to a remarkable
decrease in cutting force Fx. As it can be
explained, the increase in the cutting speed causes
increasing temperatures in the shear zone. Thus,
the converse increase of cutting speed and
decreased feed rate will produce a softer
-47-
workpiece and the chip will be formed easily as a
result. This phenomenon is considered to be the
thermal softening of the workpiece as reported by
another researcher [11, 25, 28]. Figure 5b depicts
the interaction influence of the depth of cut (a)
and material hardness (H) on the Fx. It shows that
the Fx decreases rapidly with the decrease of both
the depth of cut and material hardness. The effect
of feed rate and depth of cut on the Fx is also
illustrated in Figure 5c. This figure demonstrates
that the force Fx decreases with a decrease in both
the feed rate and the depth of cut as presented by
Ghani et al. [28]. This is due to the decreasing
product of feed rate and depth of cut producing a
decrease of chip load and thus only a small
amount of energy is required to form a chip in the
shear zone; so, it is relatively easy to remove the
material during hard milling.
Similar to the normal force, the estimated
response surfaces of the feed force Fy are also
represented in Figures 6a-c. Figure 6a represents
the relationship of the Fy with cutting speed and
feed rate. This figure shows that the feed rate
remarkably influences the cutting force, whereas
the effect of cutting speed on the cutting force is
found to be insignificant. From Figures 6b-c, the
rise in all factors (e.g., feed rate, depth of cut, and
material hardness) leads to a considerable
increase in the feed force Fy.
Figures 7a-c depict the interactive influence
of the given parameters on the axial force Fz.
Figure 7a shows that the axial cutting force
 J. CSME Vol.38, No.1(2017)

actually lowers when the cutting speed is elevated.

This can be justified that by increasing the speed,
it increases the inclining angle of shear plane, and 80
it decreases the length of the shear plane in the
selected cutting region. Therefore, the cutting Fy 60
force is needed for the formation of the chip to be 50
40
reduced. Conversely, at lower cutting speeds, the
45 H
friction force elevates. This is one of the causes
0.2
for the increase of cutting force as stated by Bajić 0.3
0.4
40
a
et al. [21]. In addition, Figures 7b-c indicate that b)
the minimum value of axial cutting force (Fz) is
obtained when the depth of cut and feed rate
arrive minimum values.
80

60
Fy
40 0.4
80
20 0.3
60 a
Fx 0.01
0.02 0.2
40 0.03 f 0.03
c)
0.02
24
f Figure 6 The response surface plot for Fy
30 36 0.01
V 42
a)

16
100
Fz 14
80
Fx 12 0.03
60
50 10 0.02 f
40
45 24 30
H 36 0.01
0.2 42
0.3 40 V a)
a 0.4
b)

17.6
16.4
100
Fz
15.2
80
Fx 14.0 50
60
0.4 45
40 H
0.3 0.2
a 0.3 40
0.01
0.02 0.2
a b) 0.4
f 0.03
c)

Figure 5 The response surface plot for Fx

17.5

15.0
Fz
12.5
0.4
10.0
60 0.3 a
Fy 50 0.01
0.02 0.2
0.03
40 0.03 f c)
30 0.02 f
24 30 Figure 7 The response surface plot for Fz
36 42 0.01
V a)

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H.T. Nguyen and Q.C. Hsu: Study on Cutting Forces and Material Removal Rate in Hard Milling.

Table 6 Constrain and goal for optimization

Conditions Goal Lower Target Upper Weight

limit limit
V Is in range 25 45
f Is in range 0.01 0.03
a Is in range 0.2 0.4
H Is in range 40 50
Fx Minimum 25.80 25.80 129.77 0.1
Fy Minimum 20.90 20.90 87.19 0.1
Fz Minimum 9.10 9.10 18.93 0.1
MRR Maximum 63.69 63.69 687.90 0.1

Table 7 The results of the multi-objective optimization for response

Res- Goal Optimum conditions Predi Calcul- Error

ponse V f a H -cted ated (%)
Fx Min. 45 0.02 0.24 41.6 35.195 37.231 5.46
Fy Min. 45 0.02 0.24 41.6 32.567 35.165 7.38
Fz Min. 45 0.02 0.24 41.6 13.039 14.153 7.87
MRR Max. 45 0.02 0.24 41.6 272.27 275.19 1.06
Composite Desirability = 0.95369

Multi-objective optimization of the cutting
parameters using desirability functioning
To enhance productivity, minimize cost and
improve overall surface quality, the multi-
objective optimization method should be applied
to find the optimal cutting conditions for the
machining process. In this study, the multi-
objective optimization method is carried out
based on a desirability function. The input
parameters, the goals, the limits and the weight
are completely listed in Table 6. The results of
optimization for the cutting forces and MRR are
summarized in Table 7.
Table 7 shows that the optimum cutting
conditions are the cutting speed (45 m/min), the
feed rate (0.02 mm/tooth), the depth of cut (0.24
mm), and the material hardness (41.6 HRC).
According to these optimal conditions,
respectively, the minimum cutting forces (Fx, Fy,
and Fz) are (35.195; 32.567; and 13.039) N and
the maximum MRR is 272.27 mm3/min. Moreover,
the composite desirability value is 0.95369 as
reported in Table 7 and it is very close to 1.
Therefore, this multi-objective optimization of the
cutting forces and the MRR is completely
acceptable.
Once the optimal machining parameters are
determined, the validation test must be conducted
to demonstrate the accuracy of the multi-objective
optimization. The valid results, as shown in Table
-49-
7, reveal that the obtained force components (Fx,
Fy and Fz) and MRR under the optimized
machining conditions are (37.231; 35.165; and
14.153) N and 275.195 mm3/min, respectively.
The percentage errors between predicted and
measured results for cutting force components (Fx,
Fy and Fz) and MRR are 5.46%, 7.38%, 7.87%
and 1.06%, respectively. It can be concluded that
these values are small. Thus, the RSM method
can be applied to predict the cutting forces and
MRR during the hard milling process of SKD 61
steel.
CONCLUSIONS
This paper has presented the study of the
cutting forces and MRR in hard milling of SKD
61 steel with hardness of (40~50) HRC by means
of a combination of Taguchi technique and the
RSM. It could be concluded as follows:
• The feed rate, depth of cut, and material
hardness have a significant effect on the cutting
forces at the reliability level 95%. The most
influential factor on cutting forces is the depth of
cut followed by feed rate, and material hardness
and, finally, by cutting speed.
• The results of the models are in reasonably
good agreement with the observation of the
experiments. Thus, the established models can be
utilized to estimate the cutting forces in the hard
milling of SKD 61 steel with 95% confidence

interval within the range of machining conditions
investigated.
• The optimized cutting parameters for the
simultaneous combination of the minimum
cutting force components (Fx, Fy and Fz) and
maximum MRR are V (cutting speed 45 m/min), f
(feed rate 0.02 mm/tooth), a (depth of cut 0.24
mm), and H (material hardness 41.6 HRC). The
desirability value of optimization is 0.95369. This
value is very close to 1. Thus, the desirability
function approach is more appropriate for the
multi-objective optimization in machining process.
• The percentage errors between predicted
and experimental values for normal cutting force,
feed force, axial force and MRR are 5.46%, 7.38%,
7.87% and 1.06%, respectively. Thus, the
integration of the Taguchi technique and RSM is
seen to be a suitable approach for investigation of
cutting forces and MRR in hard milling of
hardened SKD 61 alloy.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors thank the Mold and Die
Department of the National Kaohsiung University
of Applied Sciences for help of the dynamometer
to measure the cutting forces.
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