Effect of MQL flow rate on machinability of AISI 4140 steel

Abstract

Many studies were performed about the influence of minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) technique on cutting performance in the literature, but there is no paper examining the effect of different MQL flow rates and cutting parameters on machinability of AISI 4140 material as a whole. In this study, the effects of different MQL flow rates and cutting parameters on surface roughness, main cutting force and cutting tool flank wear (VB), with great importance among the machinability criteria, and forming as a result of the machining of AISI 4140, were revealed. At the end of the experiments, it was determined that rise of flow rate affected main cutting forces positively to a certain extent; yet, it exhibited no significant effect on surface roughness, but reduced VB. Also, it was observed that both main cutting force and surface roughness increased with the increase of feed, while generally decreased with the increase of cutting speed. It was seen that flank wear was positively affected by the increase in flow rate; and this decreased with the increase in flow rate. R² values obtained as 99.8% and 99.9% for main cutting forces and surface roughness values modeled statistically with the help of quadratic equations, respectively.     

Tribological properties of plasma nitrided AISI 4140 steel under dry and lubricated sliding conditions

In this investigation, the microstructural, mechanical and tribological properties of plasma and pulse plasma nitrided AISI 4140 steel have been investigated in comparison to hardened steel. The influence of nitriding case depth, as well as the presence of a compound layer, have been tribologically examined for both dry and lubricated sliding. Testing was carried out on a pin‐on‐disc machine in which surface‐treated pins were mated to hardened ball bearing steel discs. The surface treated samples were characterised using metallographic, SEM, microhardness and profilometric techniques, before and after wear testing. The resulting wear loss and coefficient of friction were monitored as a function of load and of test time. The results showed improved tribological properties of the AISI 4140 steel after plasma and pulse plasma nitriding as compared to the hardened steel, in both dry and lubricated sliding. However, the compound layer should be removed from the surface, either by mechanical means or by decreasing the amount of nitrogen in the nitriding atmosphere, in order to avoid impairment of the tribological properties by fracture of the hard and brittle compound layer, followed by formation of hard abrasive particles.     

The influence of the cutting tool microgeometry on the machinability of hardened AISI 4140 steel

The aim of this work is to define the cutting conditions that allow the dry drilling of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy (CFRE) composite materials taking into consideration the quality of the drilled holes (the exit delamination factor and the cylindricity error) and the optimum combination of drilling parameters. A further aim is to use grey relational analysis to improve the quality of the drilled holes. The machining parameters were measured according to 3³ full factorial parameter designs (27 experiments with independent process variables). The experiments were carried out under various cutting parameters with different spindle speeds and feed rates. Drilling tests were done using WC carbide, high-speed steel (HSS), and TiN-coated carbide drills. The experiment design was accomplished by application of the statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results show that the thrust force is mainly influenced by the tool materials and the feed rate, which has a strong influence on the exit delamination factor. On the other hand, the spindle speed particularly affects the cylindricity error of the holes. Correlations were established between spindle speed/feed rate and the various machining parameters so as to optimize cutting conditions. These correlations were found by quadratic regression using response surface methodology (RSM). Finally, tests were carried out to check the concordance of experimental results.     

Wear mechanisms and tool performance of TiAlN PVD coated inserts during machining of AISI 4140 steel

The tribological influences of PVD-applied TiAlN coatings on the wear of cemented carbide inserts and the microstructure wear behaviors of the coated tools under dry and wet machining are investigated. The turning test was conducted with variable high cutting speeds ranging from 210 to 410 m/min. The analyses based on the experimental results lead to strong evidences that conventional coolant has a retarded effect on TiAlN coatings under high-speed machining. Micro-wear mechanisms identified in the tests through SEM micrographs include edge chipping, micro-abrasion, micro-fatigue, micro-thermal, and micro-attrition. These micro-structural variations of coatings provide structure-physical alterations as the measures for wear alert of TiAlN coated tool inserts under high speed machining of steels.     

Comparative assessment of wiper and conventional ceramic tools on surface roughness in hard turning AISI 4140 steel

This study considers the comparison between the surface roughness criteria (Ra, Rz and Rt) of the wiper inserts with conventional inserts during hard turning of AISI 4140 hardened steel (60 HRC).The planning of experiments was based on Taguchi’s L₂₇ orthogonal array. The response surface methodology (RSM) and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to check the validity of quadratic regression model and to determine the significant parameter affecting the surface roughness. The statistical analysis reveals that the feed rate and depth of cut have significant effects in reducing the surface roughness. The optimum machining conditions to produce the best possible surface roughness in the range of this experiment under these experimental conditions searched using desirability function approach for multiple response factors optimization. The results indicate that the surface quality obtained with the wiper ceramic insert significantly improved when compared with conventional ceramic insert is 2.5. Roughness measurements reveal a dependence on CC6050WH tool wear. However, although the wear rises up to the allowable flank wear of value 0.3 mm, roughness Ra did not exceeded 0.9 μm.     

Tribological Properties of Borided AISI 4140 Steel with the Powder Pack-Boriding Method

The present study evaluates the tribological properties of boride layers on the surface of AISI 4140 steel, formed using the pack-boriding method. Commercial EKabor^®2 was used as the boronizing agent and the treatment was carried out at 900, 950, 1000, and 1050 °C for 2, 4, and 6 h, respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and microhardness tests were used to characterize the phase composition, microstructure, and local hardness, respectively, of the borided steel samples. Block-on-disc tests were used to investigate tribological properties. Abrasive wear tests were carried out using emery paper at a fixed sliding speed and three different loads. Adhesive wear tests were executed against AISI 52100 steel at a fixed load and distance. The coefficient of friction values (COF) of the samples were determined simultaneously during the tests. The weight loss and COF of the borided samples were compared with untreated samples and the results suggest that both wear resistance and friction properties of the AISI 4140 steel improve with boriding.     

Erosive wear by silica sand on AISI H13 and 4140 steels

The erosive wear behaviour of AISI H13 tool steel and AISI 4140 steel has been investigated in this work using a sand blast-type rig. Samples of six different hardness levels (from annealed to 595 HV) were produced and subsequently tested using silica sand as the erodent material at impact angles ranging from 10° to 90°, air drag pressures of 0.689 and 1.38 bar (10 and 20 psi respectively), impact speeds ranging from 70 to 107 m s⁻¹ and various particle sizes. Results of erosion versus impact angle at different hardness levels showed three distinctive wear regions: (i) for impact angles of 10° and 20°, the amount of wear was higher at lower hardness values; (ii) for impact angles of 30° and 40° no significant changes were found in the amount of wear despite the increase in hardness; (iii) for impact angles of 60°, 75° and 90° the amount of wear was higher for higher hardness levels in the eroded material. Single curves showed typical ductile behaviour of these alloys, a transition towards brittle behaviour for the hardest specimens was also observed due to the formation of adiabatic shear bands. SEM analysis was conducted to identify the erosion mechanisms for each type of behaviour.     

Influence of process parameters on impact toughness and hardness of dissimilar AISI 4140 and AISI 304 continuous drive friction welds

Dissimilar joints between austenitic stainless steel and low alloy steel are extensively used in many high temperature applications in the energy conversion systems. In the present investigation, emphasis is made on the influence of process parameters on the impact toughness and hardness of the friction welded joints between these two materials. The important process parameters in friction welding such as friction force, forge force, and burn-off lengths are considered for optimization by Taguchi method using L₈ 2⁷ orthogonal array. It is found that under low friction force, forging force, and burn-off conditions, the impact toughness is high due to the observed acicular martensite. Low impact toughness is reported for the welds made at higher levels of the parameters. Carbon depletion is also observed close to interface in low alloy steel side. Microhardness at the weld center is less than the microhardness on either side at the interface of low alloy steel and austenitic stainless steel close to weld center. The contribution of each parameter and significance of interactions of these parameters is determined by Taguchi method. Among these parameters, friction force has significant influence and forging force has negligible influence on microhardness. The burn-off has maximum influence while forge force has minimum effect on toughness of the welds. Statistical analysis of variance is carried out, optimum process parameters are evaluated, and regression equations are obtained.     

Tribological Performance of Boronized,Nitrided, and Normalized AISI 4140 Steel against Hydrogenated Diamond-Like Carbon-Coated AISI D2 Steel

In the current work, AISI 4140 steel was pack-boronized at 950°C for 3 h and gas-nitrided at 550°C for 72 h. All specimens used in this work were prepared from the same steel bar. A 3-µm-thick diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating (a-C:H) was deposited on the AISI D2 high-carbon, high-chromium, cold-worked tool steel by a plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition technique. Normalized, boronized, and nitrided steel pins were tested against DLC-coated AISI D2 steel at various normal loads (15, 30, 60, and 80 N) for 1,000 and 3,000 m sliding distance in ambient air. Specific wear rate of all pins decreased with increasing load, and a similar trend was observed for the coefficient of friction (COF). Microscopic and energy-dispersive spectroscopic (EDS) analysis confirmed the role of the transfer layer for a low COF with increasing load. At all loads, the specific wear rate of boronized pins was lower than that of the nitrided and normalized pin specimens. Boronized pins showed a specific wear rate in the range of 0.27 × 10^?8 to 0.44 × 10^?8 mm³/Nm and the COF was about 0.1.     

Influence of temperature on the fretting response between AISI 301 stainless steel and AISI 52100 steel

Fretting of AISI 301 stainless steel sheet in contact with AISI 52100 steel from 20 °C to 550 °C in air and argon has been studied. Transitions in the mechanical properties of 301SS and oxidative behavior of this pair have been identified as a function of temperature. Strength and ductility of 301SS is reduced from 20 °C to 250 °C, increasing susceptibility to fretting damage. Steady state friction decreases as temperature increases, reducing cyclic stresses. Wear resistance increases in this temperature range, increasing fatigue damage due to the increase in fatigue life associated with increased wear. This study aims to identify the causes of the transitions in behavior and determine the net outcome of the competing effects with regard to fatigue damage.     

An assessment of hardness, impact strength, and hot corrosion behaviour of friction-welded dissimilar weldments between AISI 4140 and AISI 304

Understanding the behavior of weldment at elevated temperatures and especially their corrosion behavior has recently become an object of scientific investigation. Investigation has been carried out on friction-welded AISI 4140 and AISI 304 under Na₂SO₄?+?V₂O₅ (60%) environment at 500 to 600°C under cyclic condition. The resulting oxide scales in the weldment have been characterized systematically using surface analytical techniques. Scale thickness on the low alloy steel side was found to be higher and was also prone to spalling. Weld area was found to be more susceptible to degradation than in base metals. The influences of welding parameters on the hot corrosion are discussed.     

Erosion of 304 stainless steel

Erosion rate measurements and scanning electron microscopy observations were made for the steady state erosion of 304 stainless steel eroded by sharp alumina particles. Both the velocity and the particle size dependence of the erosion rates were similar at all angles of impact between 10° and 90°. Micrographic observations of the steady state erosion surfaces disclosed similar overall features at low and high angles of impact. Results reported in the literature for aluminum tend to confirm these observations. It was concluded that a single erosion mechanism can be operative at all impact angles 7in ductile metals such as stainless steel, rather than a superposition of different mechanisms for the low angle and high angle range. The physical basis for a single mechanism of erosion by sharp particles was discussed.     

Magnetic abrasive finishing of hardened AISI 52100 steel

Surface finish has a vital influence on functional properties such as wear resistance and power loss due to friction on most of the engineering components. Magnetic abrasive finishing (MAF) is one of the advanced finishing process in which a surface is finished by removing the material in the form of microchips by abrasive particles in the presence of magnetic field in the finishing zone. In this study an electromagnet with four poles has been used which was found to give better performance in terms of achieving surface quality in lesser processing time. Voltage, mesh number, revolutions per minute (rpm) of electromagnet, and percentage weight of abrasives have been identified as important process parameters affecting surface roughness. The experiments were planned using response surface methodology and percentage change in surface roughness (??Ra) was considered as response. Analysis of experimental data showed that percentage change in surface roughness (??Ra) was highly influenced by mesh number followed by percentage weight of abrasives, rpm of electromagnet, and voltage. In this study, the least surface roughness value obtained was as low as 51?nm in 120?s processing time on a hardened AISI 52100 steel workpiece of 61 HRC hardness. In order to study the surface texture produced and to identify finishing mechanism, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy were also conducted. Shearing and brittle fracture of small portion of peaks of grounded workpiece have been found to be finishing mechanisms during MAF of AISI 52100 steel.     

Sand-water slurry erosion of carburized AISI 8620 steel

The erosion behavior of carburized AISI 8620 steel for sand slurry service was investigated. The jet impingement type of test was used where sand slurry is directed at flat specimens to determine the erosion rates and mechanism of erosion. The effects of steel heat treatments, slurry velocities and particle concentrations on erosion rates were investigated.     

Abrasive wear behavior of boronized AISI 8620 steel

In this study, AISI 8620 steel was boronized using the solid state boronizing technique. Processes were carried out at the temperatures of 850, 900 and 950 °C for 2, 4 and 6 h of treatment. Abrasive wear behavior of the samples boronized at different temperatures and treatment durations have been examined. Using boronized and unboronized samples, abrasive tests were conducted using pin on disc test apparatus. 80 and 120 mesh aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) abrasive papers were used in the abrasion experiments and the samples were subjected to abrasion under 10, 20 and 30 N loads. Boronized steels exhibited an improvement in abrasive wear resistance reaching up to 500%. Microstructures and wear surfaces of the samples were inspected using SEM microscopy. SEM examinations revealed that the thickness of the boride layer on the steel surfaces changes with changing process durations and temperatures. The presence of boride formed in the borided layer at the surface of the steels were determined by XRD analysis and microhardness values of the iron borides (FeB, Fe₂B) formed on the steel surface were found to be over 1600 HV.     

Precision radial turning of AISI D2 steel

This paper compares finite element model (FEM) simulations with experimental and analytical findings concerning precision radial turning of AISI D2 steel. FEM machining simulation employs a Lagrangian finite element-based machining model applied to predict cutting and thrust forces, cutting temperature and plastic strain distribution. The results show that the difference between the experimental and simulated cutting force is near 20%, irrespectively of the friction coefficient used in the simulation work (approximately 19.8% for a friction of 0.25% and 18.4% for the Coulomb approach). Concerning the thrust force, differences of about 22.4% when using a friction coefficient of μ?=?0.25 and about 56.9% when using the Coulomb friction coefficient (μ?=?0.378) were found. The maximum cutting temperature obtained using the analytical model is 494.07°C and the difference between experimentation and simulation methods is 15.2% when using a friction coefficient of 0.25 and when using the Coulomb friction only 3.1%. Regarding the plastic strain, the differences between analytical calculations and FEM simulations (for the presented friction values) suggest that the finite element method is capable of predictions with reasonable precision.     

Wear of AISI 4340 steel under boundary lubrication

Wear tests were conducted using AISI 4340 steel sliding on AISI 01 tool steel under boundary lubrication conditions. The AISI 4340 steel was heat treated to obtain different microstructures and hardness levels. The results indicated that the wear behavior depends on the heat treatment procedure. It was found that hardness alone cannot be used as a measure of wear and that the microstructure and other mechanical properties should also be used. Chemical reaction products containing phosphorus, sulfur and zinc were found on the wear surfaces lubricated with a fully formulated light oil containing zinc dithiophosphates. The chemically reacted film was nonuniform and consisted of patches 1–1500 μm in size. The larger patches were formed on the surface of steel with a pearlite-ferrite microstructure and resulted in a high wear rate. In contrast, the small patches and the thin blue and brown films were formed on the wear surface of tempered martensite steel and produced low wear rates.     

Finite element modeling of burnishing of AISI 1042 steel

The aim of this study is to analyze the evolution of surface roughness finished by burnishing. Burnishing is done on a surface that was initially turned or turned and then ground. In a previous work, we have defined an analytical model to determine the R_t factor of burnished surfaces in relation to the feed f, the material displacement δ and the roughness R_ti of the initial surface. δ has been calculated using the Hertz contact theory which supposes that the behavior of the workpiece material is elastic. Hence, in this paper, we have defined a finite element model in which the elasto-plastic behavior of the piece is taken into account to determine the material displacement δ. This model has also permitted the calculation of the residual stresses related to the macroscopic contact geometry. Good correlations have been found between experimental and finite element results when burnishing an AISI 1042 steel.