Energy consumption and surface roughness maps for low and moderate speed machining of Aluminum alloy 2014: An experimental study

The rising energy prices and soaring environmental concerns have put an immense pressure on the wide usage of machining processes. The total power consumption during machining includes the power consumed by the machine itself and the power used to remove the material from the workpiece. An accurate prediction of energy consumption during the machining process is the basis for energy reduction. In this study, the specific cutting energy and surface finish for low and moderate-speed orthogonal machining of the aluminum alloy 2014 are evaluated. The measured values for the specific cutting energy and surface roughness are presented as maps on a grid, which is based on the machining parameters including the following: (1) cutting speed and (2) undeformed chip thickness. The specific cutting energy map depicts low energy consumption values of 0.52 J/mm3 for the aluminum alloy 2014 at medium speed machining. The roughness maps depict high roughness values at high cutting speeds. Both maps help in optimizing the machining process to achieve a required surface roughness with minimal energy consumption. A review of a specific cutting energy map demonstrates that energy consumption decreases by increasing the cutting speeds. The decrease in energy consumption at moderate speeds corresponds to the low cutting forces. This potentially happens as a result of thermal softening of the material caused by adiabatic heating. This subsequently leads to an increase in the machinability of the aluminum alloy 2014 at moderate cutting speeds. Furthermore, the decreasing chip thickness and increasing shear angle as a result of increasing the cutting speed confirms the increased machinability of the workpiece at moderate speeds.