Prediction of Thrust Force and Cutting Torque in Drilling Based on the Response Surface Methodology

Abstract In this research, experimental studies were based on drilling with solid carbide tools and the material used was Al7075. The study primarily focused on investigating the effects of machining parameters (cutting speed, feed rate, diameter of the tool) on the thrust force ( Fz) and the cutting torque ( Mz) when drilling an Al7075 workpiece. The experimental data were analyzed using the response surface methodology (RSM) with an aim to identify the significant factors on the development of both the Fz and Mz. The application of the mathematical models provided favorable results with an accuracy of 3.4% and 4.7%, for the Fz and the Mz, respectively. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied in order to examine the effectiveness of the model, and both mathematical models were established and validated. The equations derived proved to be very precise when a set of validation tests were executed. The importance of the factors’ influence over the responses was also presented. Both the diameter of the cutting and the feed rate were found to be the factors of high significance, while cutting speed did not affect considerably the Fz and Mz in the experiments performed. View Full-Tex