Analysis of Surface Integrity in Drilling Metal Matrix and Hybrid Metal Matrix Composites

Hybrid metal matrix composites consist of at least three constituents—a metal or an alloy matrix and two reinforcements in various forms, bonded together at the atomic level in the composite. Despite their higher specific properties of strength and stiffness, the non homogeneous and anisotropic nature combined with the abrasive reinforcements render their machining difficult. In this paper, the surface integrity of machining in drilling hybrid composites has been discussed. Drilling tests are carried out at different spindle speed, feed rates, and different drill tool materials to investigate the effect of the various cutting parameters on the surface quality and the extent of the deformation of drilled surface due to drilling. Materials used for the present investigation are Al356/10SiC (wt%) metal matrix and Al356/10SiC-3mica (wt%) hybrid composites. The composites are fabricated using stir casting route. The drilling tests are conducted on vertical computer numeric control (CNC) machining center using carbide, coated carbide and polycrystalline diamond (PCD) drills. The surface roughness decreases with increasing spindle speed and increases with increasing feed rate. The machined surface is analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). SEM images of the machined surfaces indicate the presence of grooves and pits. Microhardness depth profiles indicate that the subsurface damage is limited to the top of 100–250 μm.