Investigation of Surface Roughness and Burr Height of Al/Al2O3/Gr Metal Matrix Composite for Various Drilling Parameters

Abstract

Drilling is a simple and common metal removal process and is important for the final fabrication stage prior to application.This paper discusses the influence of cutting parameters on drilling characteristics of pure Aluminium (Al) plate and Aluminium (Al) metal matrix composites (MMCs) reinforced with 3wt% Graphite(Gr) and 5wt%, 10wt%, 15% Alumina (Al2O3). The composites are fabricated using stir casting method. The experiments were conducted to study the effect of spindle speed and feed rate on surface roughness and burr height using high speed steel twist drills of 12 mm diameter having various point angles and lip angles. The results reveal that the alumina- graphite reinforced composites have better surface finish and improved burr heights the than unreinforced sample. Decrement of surface roughness and burr height occur with the increment of the amount of reinforcement. The spindle speed and feed rate extensively affect the surface roughness and burr height of the drilled hole.