Investigation of Cutting Parameters Effect's on Surface Roughness ‎and Tool Wear in CNC Milling of Aluminum Alloy 6061‎

Abstract

This comprehensive investigation systematically examines the machinability characteristics of Aluminum Alloy 6061-T6 through precision CNC end milling on a 3-axis Vertical Machining Center (VMC). Experiments employed a High-Speed Steel (HSS) 5-flute end mill cutter ( 10 mm diameter) under flood coolant conditions (15 L/min flow rate, 1:20 water-soluble oil emulsion) to ensure thermal stability and effective chip evacuation. A Taguchi   orthogonal array enabled efficient parametric analysis of three key variables: spindle speed   (1000, 2000, 3000 rpm), feed rate   (100, 200, 300 mm/min), and axial depth of cut   (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 mm). Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) reveals that feed rate   dominantly influences arithmetic surface roughness   (74.8% contribution,  ,  ), while spindle speed   primarily governs tool flank wear (60.1% variance contribution). A novel "chip crowding" phenomenon emerges at Material Removal Rates (MRR) >3000 mm³/min, where the 5-flute geometry's restricted flute gullet capacity induces chip re-cutting and catastrophic surface deterioration (+260%   degradation). Developed multiple linear regression models demonstrate high predictive fidelity (  for  , 92.8% for flank wear), validated by confirmation runs (e.g., Run 7: predicted 0.52 µm vs. measured 0.55 µm, 5.5% error). The optimal combination   (3000 rpm, 100 mm/min, 0.5 mm depth) yields a 69%   reduction, establishing an industry benchmark for Al6061-T6 finish machining.