A study on the machining characteristics using plasma assisted machining of AISI 1045 steel and Inconel 718

摘要

Difficult-to-cut materials such as titanium, Inconel and nickel alloys are being increasingly used in aerospace, automobile and medical equipment. However, these materials are difficult to machine using conventional machining (CM) methods, because of their superior material properties. New machining methods are being studied and developed for these materials. One of these machining methods, Thermal assisted machining (TAM,) applies a heat source to enhance the machinability of the materials. Laser assisted milling (LAMill) is a widely used type of TAM. In the LAMill process, a laser heat source softens the materials in front of the cutting tool. However, LAMill is expensive. A plasma heat source has been widely used for welding, melting, preheating, etc., and at a cost of about one tenth that of a laser heat source. But few studies on Plasma assisted machining (PAM) have been conducted. In this study, a PAM process was developed and investigated, and its performance compared with IAMBI and CM. The proper preheating temperature and depth of cut (DOC) were determined by thermal analysis. Experiments were carried out with the PAM system on AISI 1045 steel and Inconel 718 using the determined preheating temperature and DOC. It was found that PAM reduced cutting force and improved the surface quality.