Development of flank wear prediction model of Zirconia Toughened Alumina (ZTA) cutting tool using response surface methodology

Flank wear is an important criterion for machinability assessment of a material. The present study is an attempt to evaluate the influence of factors such as cutting speed, feed rate and depth of cut on flank wear during hard turning of EN 24 steel with newly developed transformed toughened nano-composite Zirconia Toughened Alumina (ZTA) ceramic inserts. ZTA provides a cost effective materials solution to the most demanding applications which require wear resistance, corrosion resistance, high temperature stability and superior mechanical strength. Several machining experiments were performed and mathematical models for flank wear have been postulated by using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The analysis was based on a first order model in which the flank wear (V_b) is expressed as a function of three independent variables i.e. cutting speed (V), feed rate (F) and depth of cut (T). Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was applied to check the adequacy of the mathematical model and their respective parameters. Key parameters and their interactive effect on flank wears have also been presented in graphical contours which may help for choosing the process parameters and predict the cutting condition for maximum tool life.