Investigation of surface integrity in high speed end milling of a low alloyed steel

Understanding the effects of cutting speed, feed rate and cutting depth on surface integrity is very important for the control of workpiece quality. This paper presents a global experimental study of surface integrity in the case of high speed end milling. In the global term, we include measurements of residual stresses, surface roughness and cutting forces. Our observations and conclusions are mainly concentrated on the effect of depth of cut with a set of constant parameters, such as cutting speed, feed rate, and tool/material couple. This set of constants has been determined using the theory of stability lobes. All experiments have been performed with an electro-spindle equipped with magnetic bearings. The results lead to a good understanding of the influence of cutting conditions on surface integrity in high speed milling of a low alloyed steel. The discussion examines a specific point where the residual stress and residual stress gradient are lowest and also the origin of the residual stress value.