Experimental Investigation, Modeling, and Optimization of Cutting Forces in Dry Hard Turning

The capacity of hard turning to replace traditional grinding operations is attracting the interest of automobile and allied industries today. In this context, the thermal modeling and tool life estimation depend on a precise understanding of cutting forces, under different cutting conditions. Cutting force is a critical technological parameter that must be controlled continuously by selecting the appropriate cutting parameters during the machining process. Given the background, this study used response surface methodology to model and optimize radial cutting force (Fr) during dry hard turning of AISI 52100 alloy steel. The influence of cutting parameters on the individual components of the cutting force was investigated using ‘analysis of variance’ (ANOVA). The depth of cut (d) was shown to be the most important cutting parameter, whereas the feed rate (f) and cutting speed (v) had minimal effect on cutting force components. The cutting parameters were shown to have an effect on the most noticeable radial cutting force component. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to build a cutting force (Fr) model. To establish the validity of the investigation, diagnostic and confirmatory tests were carried out. The model’s cutting force predictions matched the experimental values well.