Fabrication and Machining of Metal Matrix Composites: A Review

Intrinsically smart, metal matrix composites (MMCs) are lightweight and high-performance materials having ever expanding industrial applications. The structural and the functional properties of these materials can be altered as per the industrial demands. The process technologies indulged in fabrication and machining of these materials attract the researchers and industrial community. Hybrid electric discharge machining is a promising and the most reliable nonconventional machining process for MMCs. It exhibits higher competence for machining complex shapes with greater accuracy. This paper presents an up-to-date review of progress and benefits of different routes for fabrication and machining of composites. It reports certain practical analysis and research findings including various issues on fabrication and machining of MMCs. It is concluded that polycrystalline tools and diamond-coated tools are best suitable for various conventional machining operations. High speed, small depth of cut and low feed rate are a key to better finish. In addition, hybrid electrical discharge machining has proved to be an active research area in critical as well as nonconventional machining since last few years. This paper incorporates year-wise research work done in fabrication, conventional machining, nonconventional machining, and hybrid machining of MMCs. Conclusions and future scope are addressed in the last section of the paper.     

Particulate reinforced metal matrix composites — a review

The physical and mechanical properties that can be obtained with metal matrix composites (MMCs) have made them attractive candidate materials for aerospace, automotive and numerous other applications. More recently, particulate reinforced MMCs have attracted considerable attention as a result of their relatively low costs and characteristic isotropic properties. Reinforcement materials include carbides, nitrides and oxides. In an effort to optimize the structure and properties of particulate reinforced MMCs various processing techniques have evolved over the last 20 years. The processing methods utilized to manufacture particulate reinforced MMCs can be grouped depending on the temperature of the metallic matrix during processing. Accordingly, the processes can be classified into three categories: (a) liquid phase processes, (b) solid state processes, and (c) two phase (solid-liquid) processes. Regarding physical properties, strengthening in metal matrix composites has been related to dislocations of a very high density in the matrix originating from differential thermal contraction, geometrical constraints and plastic deformation during processing.     

Wear and life of tools with inserts from cBN-based polycrystalline Superhard materials in the finish turning of hardened steels at heavy feeds

The results have been considered of experimental studies of the wear regularities of tools with polycrystalline superhard materials based on cubic boron nitride (PCBN) in high-performance finishing of hardened steel with oblique cutters. The effect of machining conditions on the life of such tools has been analyzed.     

Single-point scratching of 6061 Al alloy reinforced by different ceramic particles

Aluminium alloys reinforced by ceramic particles have been widely used in aerospace and automotive industries for their high stiffness and wear resistance. However, the machining of such materials is difficult and would usually cause excessive tool wear. The effect of ceramic particles on the cutting mechanisms is also unclear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the cutting mechanisms and the relationship between specific energy of scratching and depth of cut (size effect). The single-point scratch test was carried out on 6061 Al and its composites reinforced by Al₂O₃ and SiC ceramic particles using a pyramid indenter. The results indicated that the scratch process was composed of rubbing, ploughing, plastic cutting and reinforcement fracture. A simple model was proposed to interpret the apparent size effect. The effect of reinforcement on the specific energy was correlated to the ratio of volume fraction to particle radius. The paper found that for machining MMCs, a larger depth of cut should be used to maintain a lower machining energy, especially for those with a larger ratio of volume fraction to particle radius.     

Wire EDM Mechanism of MMCs with the Variation of Reinforced Particle Size

The size of reinforced particles notably affects the electro-discharge machining (EDM) of metal matrix composites (MMCs). This paper explores the mechanism of wire EDM of MMCs with different sizes of reinforced particles as well as the corresponding unreinforced matrix material. The mechanisms of material removal, surface generation, and taper kerf formation were investigated. This study shows that the particles’ ability to protect matrix materials from the intense heat of electric arc controls the material removal rate, surface generation, and taper of kerf. The low melting point matrix material is removed very easily, but the heat resistance reinforced particles delay the removal of material and facilitate the transfer of the workpiece material to wire electrode and vice versa. Thus, the material stays longer in touch with intense heat and affects the surface generation, wire electrode wear, and width of the kerf.     

Design of hybrid steel/composite circular plate cutting tool structures

Substituting composite structures for conventional metallic structures has many advantages because composite materials have both high specific stiffness and damping characteristics compared to conventional metallic materials. In this study, circular plate cutting tools which are used for rough machining of bearing sites in crankshafts or camshafts were designed with the fiber reinforced composite material to reduce tool mass and to improve the dynamic stiffness of circular plate cutting tools. The hybrid steel/composite circular plate cutting tool was analyzed by finite element method with respect to material types such as composite and foam, stacking angles of the composite, adhesive bonding thickness, and dimensions of the cutting tool. Also, the constrained damping characteristics of the tools were experimentally investigated with respect to the adhesive bonding thickness and material type such as composite and PVC foam. From the finite element analysis and experimental results, optimal design parameters for the hybrid steel/composite circular plate cutting tool were suggested.     

Machining MMC engineering components with polycrystalline diamond and diamond grinding

Abstract

The high specific strength of metal matrix composite (MMC) materials is derived from the combined effects of light, ductile and hard, brittle materials being incorporated in a matrix composite. The hard, brittle phase in this composite can cause problems when machining such materials. The most commonly encountered problems are those involved in producing an acceptable surface finish, avoiding very rapid tool wear and achieving acceptable machining costs, through the use of higher machining speeds. However, in order for MMC materials to be widely accepted into the mainstream automotive, aerospace, and mechanical engineering industries, cost effective machining solutions will be required. Increasingly, machining with polycrystalline diamond (PCD) and grinding with diamond abrasives (two examples of ultra hard materials) are being utilised as the most effective machining methods in the manufacture of MMC components. The present paper explores the inherent problems involved in the machining of MMCs and the suitability of ultrahard tooling technology in overcoming many of these problems. The importance of PCD grade selection and optimised machining conditions are particularly important when machining MMCs, and these are reviewed in detail. The versatility of PCD for use in practically all metal cutting operations is also illustrated. The paper concludes with a number of case studies demonstrating how ultrahard tooling technology has been applied to produce economically a wide range of engineered MMC components in the automotive, aerospace, and mechanical engineering industries.     

Wire electrical discharge machining characteristics of AA6061/cenosphere as-cast aluminum matrix composites

Machining of metal matrix composites (MMCs) reinforced with low-density waste byproduct particulates using nonconventional processes is relatively new in the field of material science. However, more attention has been paid for investigations on nontraditional machining of such MMCs currently as the conventional machining may generate additional complexity. This study investigates the wire electro-discharge machining behavior of compo-casted cenosphere-reinforced AA6061 alloys. Cu₆₀Zn₄₀-coated copper wire was used as electrode material. The investigation demonstrates that melting and vaporization are the dominant machining mechanisms. The weight fraction of cenosphere was observed to be the most substantial process variables affecting the cutting rate, on-time, and the wire speed of tool were the next in the order of importance. The presence of nonconductive cenosphere particles along with thermal degradation of the aluminum matrix composites leads to degrading processed machined surface quality. The issues related to wire breakage and poor quality of the machined surface, surface finish, and dimensional accuracy are described in detail.     

常用高速切削刀具材料的性能分析与应用

要实现高速切削加工,刀具材料是关键,高速切削技术是随着刀具技术如刀具材料等的发展而发展起来的。本文介绍了高速切削加工中常用的聚晶金刚石、立方氮化硼、陶瓷、Ti(C,N)基金属陶瓷等材料和涂层刀具等的特性、应用范围和发展趋势,以促进高速切削技术的广泛应用。     

Effects of SiC,Al2O3, and ZrO2 particles on the LBMed characteristics of Al/SiC,Al/Al2O3, and Al/ZrO2 MMCs prepared by stir casting process

The effects of SiC, Al₂O₃, and ZrO₂ particles on the characteristics of Al/SiC, Al/Al₂O₃, and Al/ZrO₂ metal matrix composites (MMCs) have been studied in the present research work. The comparison of machining characteristics has been done to analyze the behavior of various reinforced particles with the variation of laser machining variables. The output characteristics such as dross height and kerf deviation have been investigated and compared with each MMCs. SEM and XRD have been used for the investigation of morphological changes in the structure and agglomeration of reinforced particles. The crack and recast layer formation has been examined in the specimens of higher quantity of reinforced particles. It was observed that the MMC material reinforced with SiC particles has shown different behavior as compared to other MMC materials.     

Optimizing machining parameters of wire-EDM process to cut Al7075/SiCp composites using an integrated statistical approach

Metal matrix composites (MMCs) as advanced materials, while producing the components with high dimensional accuracy and intricate shapes, are more complex and cost effective for machining than conventional alloys. It is due to the presence of discontinuously distributed hard ceramic with the MMCs and involvement of a large number of machining control variables. However, determination of optimal machining conditions helps the process engineer to make the process efficient and effective. In the present investigation a novel hybrid multi-response optimization approach is proposed to derive the economic machining conditions for MMCs. This hybrid approach integrates the concepts of grey relational analysis (GRA), principal component analysis (PCA) and Taguchi method (TM) to derive the optimal machining conditions. The machining experiments are planned to machine Al7075/SiCp MMCs using wire-electrical discharge machining (WEDM) process. SiC particulate size and its weight percentage are explicitly considered here as the process variables along with the WEDM input variables. The derived optimal process responses are confirmed by the experimental validation tests and the results showed satisfactory. The practical possibility of the derived optimal machining conditions is also analyzed and presented using scanning electron microscope examinations. According to the growing industrial need of making high performance, low cost components, this investigation provide a simple and sequential approach to enhance the WEDM performance while machining MMCs.     

A Power Spectrum Analysis of Surface Generation in Ultraprecision Machining of Al/SiC Metal Matrix Composites

Metal matrix composites (MMCs) are well known to be difficult-to-machine materials in ultraprecision machining. To have a better insight into the physical mechanisms involved in the cutting process, a power spectrum analysis is proposed to study the surface generation in ultraprecision machining of aluminiumsilicon carbide MMCs. The results indicate that the power spectrum of a surface roughness profile is correlated well to different process parameters and mechanisms of surface generation. The findings help to formulate the optimum cutting strategy for machining the MMCs.     

Machining of high performance workpiece materials with CBN coated cutting tools

The machining of high performance workpiece materials requires significantly harder cutting materials. In hard machining, the early tool wear occurs due to high process forces and temperatures. The hardest known material is the diamond, but steel materials cannot be machined with diamond tools because of the reactivity of iron with carbon. Cubic boron nitride (cBN) is the second hardest of all known materials. The supply of such PcBN indexable inserts, which are only geometrically simple and available, requires several work procedures and is cost-intensive. The development of a cBN coating for cutting tools, combine the advantages of a thin film system and of cBN. Flexible cemented carbide tools, in respect to the geometry can be coated. The cBN films with a thickness of up to 2 µm on cemented carbide substrates show excellent mechanical and physical properties. This paper describes the results of the machining of various workpiece materials in turning and milling operations regarding the tool life, resultant cutting force components and workpiece surface roughness. In turning tests of Inconel 718 and milling tests of chrome steel the high potential of cBN coatings for dry machining was proven. The results of the experiments were compared with common used tool coatings for the hard machining. Additionally, the wear mechanisms adhesion, abrasion, surface fatigue and tribo-oxidation were researched in model wear experiments.     

粉末雾化喷射成形制备颗粒增强金属基复合材料

颗粒增强金属基复合材料（ＭＭＣｓ）具有良好的综合性能，在航空、汽车及民用工业中的应用前景十分广阔。近年来粉末雾化喷射成形工艺用于制备颗粒增强ＭＭＣｓ受到了重视与发展。该方法通过快速凝固获得组织均匀、细小、无宏观偏折和高性能的新材料。在沉积过程中向基体合金的喷雾中喷入增强相颗粒即可制成高性能ＭＭＣｓ。本文介绍这一方法的基本原理和最新进展。     

Diamond and cBN hybrid and nanomodified cutting tools with enhanced performance: Development,testing and modelling

The potential of enhancement of superhard steel and cast iron cutting tool performance on the basis of microstuctural modifications of the tool materials is studied. Hybrid machining tools with mixed diamond and cBN grains, as well as machining tool with composite nanomodified metallic binder are developed, and tested experimentally and numerically. It is demonstrated that both combination of diamond and cBN (hybrid structure) and nanomodification of metallic binder (with hexagonal boron nitride/hBN platelets) lead to sufficient improvement of the cast iron machining performance. The superhard tools with 25% of diamond replaced by cBN grains demonstrate 20% increased performance as compared with pure diamond machining tools, and more than two times higher performance as compared with pure cBN tools. Further, cast iron machining efficiency of the wheels modified by hBN particles was 80% more efficient compared to the tool with the original binder. Computational model of hybrid superhard tools is developed, and applied to the analysis of structure-performance relationships of the tools.     

Cost-effective way of hard turning with newly developed HSN2-coated tool

EN-31 (AISI 52100, hardness 55 HRC) is one of the difficult-to-cut steel alloys and it is commonly used in shafts and bearings. Nowadays, it is becoming a challenge to the cutting tool material for economical machining of extremely tough and hard steels. In general, CBN and PCBN tools are used for machining hardened steel. However, machining cost using these tools becomes higher due to high tool cost. For this purpose, carbide tool using selective coatings is the best substitute having comparable tool life, while its cost is approximately one-tenth of CBN tool. In this work, the newly developed second-generation TiAlxN super nitride (i.e., HSN²) is selected for PVD coating on carbide tool insert and further characterized using thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry for oxidation and thermal stability at high temperature. Later, HSN²-coated carbide inserts are successfully tested for their sustainability to expected tool life for turning of AISI 52100 steel. In the present study, forces, surface finish, and tool wear are used as a measure to appraise the performance of hard turning process. Experimentally, it is found that speed, feed rate, and depth of cut have considerable impact on forces, insert wear, and surface roughness of the machined surface.     

Experimental investigations into triplex hybrid process of GA-RDECDM during subtractive processing of MMC’s

The use of Al-6063 SiCp metal matrix composites (MMCs) in electronic packaging applications, heat sinks for printed circuit boards and for microwave housings necessitates certain degree of machining operations to meet the specifications of the product. The various conventional and non-conventional machining processes had been used to machine the MMCs. But all such processes have their limitations in providing the desired outcomes. Therefore, the present research endeavor, a new process variant of ECDM for the machining of Al-6063 SiCp MMCs. The developed grinding assisted rotary disk electrochemical discharge machining (GA-RDECDM) process integrates the concept of triplex hybridization. In GA-RDECDM, an abrasive coated rotary disk was used as a tool electrode. The abrasive coated disk provides micro gaps between the tool electrode and work material surface and thereby it results in thin and stable gas film formation. The breakdown of thin and stable gas films produce high frequency, low intensity discharges and consequently improves the machining performance. The additional abrasion action imparted by rotating disk ensures the continuation of ECDM process. The influence of various process parameters including applied voltage, pulse on time, electrolyte concentration and the disk rotation rate on width over cut (WOC) and depth were experimentally investigated. Multi criteria optimization using desirability approach predicts the parametric combination of applied voltage of 99V, pulse on time of 3 ms, electrolyte concentration of 17%wt./vol. and disk rotation rate of 30 rpm as the optimum setting for fabrication of slits on the MMCs. The underlying process mechanism is also investigated and presented with appropriate illustrations. The major contribution of the present research work is the development of a novel method for the fabrication of the slits on MMCs.     

Effects of Lubricant Condition and Tool Wear in Hard Turning of Novel-Abrasion-Resistance (N-AR) Cast Iron

Advanced materials, such as high abrasion resistant cast iron, have great applications for abrasive and erosive environments. Since the amount and the hardness of the microstructural carbides constituents in this material is extremely high, the abrasion-resistance cast iron is generally difficult to be machined with traditional cemented carbide tool. The hard and abrasive particles in this material can remarkably shorten the cutting tool life through abrasion of tool face and deterioration of cutting edge. In this article, Cubic Boron Nitride (CBN) cutting tool has been used to machine a novel-abrasion-resistance (N-AR) cast iron. The performances of CBN tool under different lubrication conditions were evaluated in view of tool wear, cutting force, and surface roughness (Rz). Further more, the wear rate of CBN tool under different machining condition and the mechanism of the CBN tool in machining of this type of work materials has also been investigated.     

Machining of aluminium based metal matrix composites

Although metal matrix composites (MMCs) are generally regarded as extremely difficult to machine, it is also acknowledged that their machining behaviour is not fully understood. The work reviewed here confirms this widely held view but also suggests that the machinability of these materials can be improved by appropriate selection of the reinforcing phase, its volume fraction, size, and morphology as well as the composition and hardness of the matrix material. Cemented carbide tools can be used to machine some of the less abrasive materials at slow speeds but if higher production rates are required or the more abrasive materials are to be machined, polycrystalline diamond tooling is required.     

Influence of Tool Coating,Tool Material,and Cutting Speed on the Machinability of Low-Leaded Brass Alloys in Turning

The influence of tool coating and material on the machinability of low-leaded brass alloys (Pb < 0.2%) was analyzed in external turning. Carbide tools with various coatings as well as polycrystalline diamond (PCD) tools were applied. As workpiece materials, three low-leaded brass alloys CuZn38As, CuZn42, and CuZn21Si3P were used. Their machining behavior was compared to the leaded (Pb < 3.32%) brass CuZn39Pb3. CuZn38As showed the worst machinability in terms of process forces, chip formation, and workpiece quality. This is due to the high volume fraction of α-phase with face-centered cubic lattice structure. The machining problems were reduced by the use of tool coatings, in particular by a diamond-like carbon coating. The latter is characterized by high hardness, diamond-like cubic-crystalline lattice structure, and low chemical affinity to brass, which reduced friction in the secondary shear zone. CuZn42 exhibited an improved machinability compared to CuZn38As due to the lower volume fraction of α-phase. The positive influence of the tool coating was similar to CuZn38As. Main machining problem of CuZn21Si3P is tool wear because of the hard silicon-rich κ-phase. In tool life tests, PCD showed higher performance than uncoated and coated carbide tools due to its high abrasive wear resistance and low adhesion tendency.