Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2014) 74:14951505

DOI 10.1007/s00170-014-6085-z

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Evaluation of drilling Al/SiC composites with cryogenically

treated HSS drills
Ergn Ekici & Ali Riza Motorcu

Received: 18 April 2014 / Accepted: 19 June 2014 / Published online: 3 July 2014
# Springer-Verlag London 2014

Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate the

performance of cryogenically treated M35 high-speed steel
(HSS) twist drills in the drilling of Al/SiC metal matrix
composites (MMCs) produced with the hot-pressing method
in terms of dimensional accuracy (Da), surface roughness (Ra)
and tool life. The cutting tool (Ct), cutting speed (Vc) and feed
rate (f) were taken as control factors. The Taguchi method L18
(21 37) was used for the determination of optimum control
factors. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied in order
to determine the effects of the control factors on Da and Ra.
The optimum combinations of the control factors for Da and
Ra were determined as A2B2C1 and A2B1C1, respectively.
First-order predictive models were developed with linear regression analysis, and the coefficients of correlation for Da
and Ra were calculated as R2 =80.5 and R2 =79.0, respectively.
The results of the conducted experiments showed that the
cryogenically treated drills exhibited better performance than
the untreated drills in terms of the dimensional accuracy and
surface roughness of the MMCs. In the tool life experiments,
when compared to the conventionally heat-treated (CHT)
tools, the cryogenically treated (CT) tools gained increases
in tool life of 256 and 161 % at the cutting speeds of 15 and
25 m/min, respectively. Moreover, on both cutting tools, builtup edge (BUE) on the chisel edges and flank wear on the
cutting could be observed.

Keywords Al/SiC composite . Drilling . Surface roughness .

Dimensional accuracy . Tool life . Taguchi method
E. Ekici (*) : A. R. Motorcu
Faculty of Engineering, Department of Industrial Engineering,
anakkale Onsekiz Mart University, anakkale, Turkey
e-mail: ergunekici@comu.edu.tr
A. R. Motorcu
e-mail: armotorcu@comu.edu.tr

1 Introduction
Metal matrix composites (MMCs) have a large field of
application in the automobile, space, consumer and defence industries due to their outstanding characteristics
which include high strength-to-weight ratio as well as
high specific strength, wear resistance and heat resistance [14]. High-quality MMC parts can be turned out
close to their final forms using different production
methods, but it is necessary to apply supplementary
processes to achieve the desired surface quality and
dimensional tolerance for the efficient assembly of these
parts [5]. The process of drilling is commonly used for
the stabilisation and assembly of the composite parts
[6]. Researchers have studied the effects of tool materials like coated and uncoated cemented carbide, highspeed steel (HSS) and polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN) in the drilling of MMCs. They have stated
that the main problem in the processing of MMCs is the
high tool wear caused by reinforcing elements that are
especially hard and abrasive [7, 8]. Cryogenic treatment
is the process of cooling materials at a temperature
below room temperature [9]. Contrary to popular belief,
cryogenic treatment is not a kind of heat treatment in
itself, but a supplementary process that complements
heat treatment [10]. The main objective of cryogenic
treatment is to transform the mild and unstable residual
austenite which remains in tool steel as a result of
conventional heat treatment to martensite and to increase the wear resistance of tool steel by providing a
homogeneous carbide distribution [1113]. Tosun studied the effect of process parameters on surface roughness in the drilling of Al/SiC composites via the
Taguchi method and stated that the most influential
parameters on surface roughness were the type of drill
(HSS and carbide) and feed rate. He reported that the

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optimum surface roughness was achieved with a feed

rate of 0.16 mm/rev, a spindle speed of 260 rev/min and
with drills having a point angle of 130 [14]. Davim
studied cutting forces, tool wear and surface roughness
in accordance with cutting time in the turning of
A356/20/SiCp-T6 particle-reinforced metal matrix composites with polycrystalline diamond (PCD) tools [15].
Rajmohan and Palanikumar examined the effects of
process parameters on thrust force, surface roughness
and burr height in the drilling of Al/SiC/Mica hybrid
composites via the response surface method (RSM) and
central composite design (CCD). They determined the
feed rate, speed and percantage amount of SiC reinforcement and used uncoated carbide tools with a diameter of 6 mm and a point degree of 118 as control
factors. The optimum values of the process parameters
were determined as a spindle speed of 1,855 rpm, a
feed rate of 50 mm/min and a SiC reinforcement rate of
15 %; a thrust force of 584 N, a surface roughness of
1.67 m and a burr height of 0.16 mm were achieved
with these values [16]. Muthukrishnan and Davim used
analysis of variance (ANOVA) and artificial neural network (ANN) analysis for the optimisation of machining
parameters in the turning of Al/SiC MMCs with PCD
tools [17]. Gaitonde et al. evaluated machining force,
cutting power and specific cutting in machining of
MMCs with PCD tools using RSM [18]. Davim and
Baptista studied the relation between cutting forces and
tool wear in association with cutting time in the turning
and drilling of SiC-reinforced composites with PCD
tools. They stated that thrust force increased flank wear
while drilling, but torque had no effect on wear [19]. In
another study, Rajmohan et al. researched surface roughness in the drilling of Al/10SiC and Al/10SiC-3mica
MMCs, which they produced with the stirred casting
method, with coated and uncoated carbide and PCD
drills [20]. Altunpark et al. studied the effects of graphite (Gr) addition on cutting forces and surface roughness
in the drilling of Al/SiC/Gr composites. They used
diamond-like coated carbide drills with a diameter of
5 mm and a point angle of 118 in the processing of
Al/SiC/Gr MMCs with Gr additions of 5 and 10 %.
They reported that Gr addition decreased the cutting
forces and worsened the surface roughness [21]. iek
et al. evaluated the cutting forces, surface roughness,
tool wear, tool life and chip formation in the drilling of
AISI 304 and AISI 316 stainless steel with cryogenically treated M35 HSS drills. It was reported that cryogenic treatment provided an increase of 32 and 14 % in
tool life in the drilling of AISI 304 and AISI 316
stainless steel, respectively [22]. A further study carried
out by iek et al. researched surface roughness and
roundness error in the drilling of AISI 304 stainless

Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2014) 74:14951505

steel with cryogenically treated tools using the Taguchi

method and RSM. They reported that the most effective
parameter for surface roughness was feed rate, with a
ratio of 83.07 %, and the most effective parameter for
roundness error was cutting speed, with a ratio of
64.36 %. Furthermore, they stated that cryogenic treatment had a positive effect on surface roughness and
roundness error because it decreased tool wear and
lowered cutting force [23]. Ahamed et al. studied tool
wear, surface roughness and surface integrity in the
drilling of Al-5%SiCp-5%B4Cp hybrid composites using
HSS drills with a low speed and low feed rate combination [24]. Basavarajappa et al. examined the effects of
cutting parameters on cutting forces, surface roughness
and chip formation in the drilling of Al2219/15SiCp and
Al2219/15SiCp-3Gr composites with coated carbide
drills. They stated that while reducing the cutting forces
and burr height, Gr addition increased surface roughness
[25]. Rajmohan and Palanikumar studied cutting forces
in the drilling of Al356/SiC-Mica hybrid MMCs with
coated carbide drills. They analysed the effects of cutting speed, feed rate and percentage amount of SiC
reinforcement on cutting forces using RSM [26].
The current study was conducted with the aim of determining the optimum machining conditions for drilling Al/SiC
composites to achieve a low surface roughness and high
dimensional accuracy. In addition, the effect of cryogenic
treatment applied to tools was investigated in terms of surface
quality, dimensional accuracy and tool life. This examination
of the machining of Al/SiC composites with cryogenically
treated tools will contribute to the extension of a database
for the machining of such materials and serve as a basis for
further research.

2 Materials and method

Alumix 123 alloy (200 m submicron) was used as the matrix
material along with 10 % SiC (wt%) powders (32 m submicron) as the reinforcing element in the production of the
MMCs. The chemical composition of Alumix 123 alloy is
given in Table 1.
The mixture of powders, prepared according to the weight
rate percent, was cold-pressed at a pressure of 100 MPa and
then hot-pressed at 595 C and 40 MPa for 15 min. After the
hot-pressing, the samples produced were kept at 530 C for
Table 1 Chemical composition of the Alumix 123
Cu (wt%)

Mg (wt%)

Si (wt%)

Al (wt%)

Lubricant

4.4

0.5

0.7

Balance

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3 h and then dropped in water of a temperature averaging

20 C. Subsequently, they were kept in a furnace at
180 C for 12 h, and thus, the T6 heat treatment was
achieved. As a result, block samples 606012 mm in
size were produced. The samples were prepared for
microstructural analyses with 600 and 1,200 sandpapers
and finally, polished using 1-m diamond paste. A
Quanta FEG 250 scanning electron microscope (SEM)
was used for the microstructural images and energydispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. Density
measurements were conducted according to the
Archimedes principle, and hardness measurements were
carried out on an Emco Test DuraScan device in compliance with ASTM E-384HV 0.2 standards.
2.1 Cutting tools and cryogenic treatments
For the drilling experiments, Format brand HSS drills with a
diameter of 3 mm were used; the properties of these drills are
given in Table 2. The drills were classified into two categories:
conventionally heat-treated (CHT) and cryogenically treated
(CT).
Temperature-controlled and time-controlled cryogenic
treatment cycles were applied to the drills. Cryogenic
treatment was carried out by decreasing the heat from
room temperature to 196 C incrementally. After maintaining this temperature for 24 h, the temperature was
increased to room temperature incrementally in order
not to subject the samples to thermal shock and deformation. Heat treatment was applied to the tools at
200 C for 2 h after cryogenic treatment. The thermal
cycle of the cryogenic treatment applied to the CT tools
is shown in Fig. 1.
After cryogenic treatment, the samples were placed on a
bakelite sheet for microstructural analyses and their surfaces
were polished. They were then etched with 3 % nital for 10
15 s. Microstructural images were taken with the Quanta FEG
250 SEM device.

Fig. 1 Thermal cycle of cryogenic treatment applied to the cutting tools

maximum power of 12,000 rpm and 7.5 kW. The drills

used in the experiments were CHT and CT M35 HSS
twist drills with a diameter of 3 mm. Machinability tests
were carried out by drilling holes with a depth of
12 mm (overall) for Da and Ra measurements. In the
experiments, a 3-mm-diameter, single-head tool holder
(BT40) was used. In addition, in order to minimise the
vibration, the distance between the cutting insert and the
tool holder was determined as 25 mm and the tool
holder was fixed at this distance. The experiments were
carried out under dry cutting conditions. The testing set
on the CNC vertical machining centre is displayed in
Fig. 2.
2.3 Measurement of dimensional accuracy, surface roughness
and tool life
The hole mean diameter was adopted as the basis for the
evaluation of dimensional accuracy. In the hole mean diameter
measurements, the mean of the three values taken from the
entrance, mid and exit points of the holes was calculated. The

2.2 Drilling experiments

The experiments were carried out with a FALCO
VMC550 CNC vertical machining centre, which has a
Table 2 Properties of
M35 drills

Tool materials

M35

Tool reference
Diameter
Coating
Tip angle
Helix angle
Hardness

DIN 338
3 mm
Uncoated
130
30
65 HRC

Fig. 2 CNC vertical machining centre and drilled workpiece

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Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2014) 74:14951505

a)

b)

c)

d)

Fig. 3 a Dimensional accuracy (Da) measurements, b WEDM cutting of drilled workpiece for Ra measurements, c surface roughness (Ra)
measurements and d tool life tests

hole mean diameter was measured using a COORD3 threedimensional coordinate measuring machine (CMM) (Fig. 3a).
The samples were sliced into segments parallel to the
axes of the holes in a Makino EU64 Wire Electrical
Discharge Machine (WEDM) for surface roughness
measurements (Fig. 3b). The surface roughness measurements were carried out using a Mahr Perthometer M1
device by taking values from three different points parallel
to the hole axis at a cut-off length of 5.6 mm (Fig. 3c).
Tool life experiments were conducted by drilling blind
holes with a depth of 7 mm at a cutting speed of
15.20 m/min and a feed rate of 0.04 and 0.052 mm/rev
until the tools were no longer able to continue performing
their drilling function (catastrophic failure) and the total
metal removal rate was measured (Fig. 3d).

Table 3 Control factors and their

levels

2.4 Design of experiments via the Taguchi method

The Taguchi method, in which orthogonal arrays (OA) are
used, is an efficient way to increase process/product quality
with fewer experiments. As a result of using this method,
performance features can be optimised while also determining
the best parameter settings [27]. In the Taguchi method, experimental results are transformed into a signal-to-noise (S/N)
ratio. The S/N ratio is used while approaching or moving
away from the desired value and measuring the quality characteristics [28]. The lowest best (LB), the nominal best (NB)
and the highest best (HB) approaches are found according to
the results of the S/N ratio [29]. The cutting tool (Ct), cutting
speed (Vc) and feed rate (f), whose levels are given in Table 3,
were selected as the control factors.

Symbol

Control factors

Unit

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Degree of freedom (DoF)

A
B
C

Cutting tools, (Ct)

Cutting speed, (Vc)
Feed rate, ( f )

m/min
mm/rev

CHT
15
0.04

CT
20
0.052

25
0.067

1
2
2

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Table 4 Results for quality characteristics and S/N ratios

Exp. no

Designation

Control factors

Observed values, Da [mm]

Observed values, Ra [m]

S/N ratios (dB)

Da-1

Da-2

Da-3

Daave

Ra-1

Ra-2

Ra-3

Raave

S/NDa

S/NRa

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

A1B1C1
A1B1C2
A1B1C3
A1B2C1
A1B2C2
A1B2C3
A1B3C1
A1B3C2
A1B3C3
A2B1C1
A2B1C2
A2B1C3
A2B2C1
A2B2C2

CHT
CHT
CHT
CHT
CHT
CHT
CHT
CHT
CHT
CT
CT
CT
CT
CT

15
15
15
20
20
20
25
25
25
15
15
15
20
20

0.04
0.052
0.067
0.04
0.052
0.067
0.04
0.052
0.067
0.04
0.052
0.067
0.04
0.052

3.0136
3.0468
3.1028
3.0024
3.1584
3.1451
3.1444
3.0434
3.1359
3.0008
3.0013
2.9918
2.9428
3.007

3.0094
3.0585
3.1593
3.0131
3.0223
3.0687
3.0084
3.0341
3.0874
2.9776
2.9799
2.9858
2.9738
2.9765

3.0179
3.0352
3.0746
2.9918
3.0795
3.0149
2.9994
3.0528
3.1426
2.9817
2.9842
2.9903
2.936
2.9913

3.0136
3.0468
3.112
3.0024
3.0867
3.0762
3.0507
3.0434
3.1222
2.9867
2.9885
2.989
2.951
2.9916

0.218
0.244
0.401
0.315
0.382
0.490
0.386
0.425
0.572
0.240
0.190
0.260
0.341
0.305

0.248
0.273
0.342
0.282
0.434
0.456
0.322
0.396
0.620
0.218
0.205
0.242
0.330
0.336

0.256
0.254
0.312
0.275
0.452
0.464
0.318
0.452
0.582
0.200
0.220
0.296
0.320
0.344

0.241
0.257
0.352
0.291
0.423
0.470
0.342
0.424
0.591
0.219
0.205
0.266
0.330
0.328

9.58
9.68
9.86
9.55
9.79
9.76
9.69
9.67
9.89
9.5
9.51
9.51
9.4
9.52

12.36
11.8
9.07
10.72
7.47
6.56
9.32
7.45
4.57
13.19
13.76
11.5
9.63
9.68

15
16
17
18

A2B2C3
A2B3C1
A2B3C2
A2B3C3

CT
CT
CT
CT

20
25
25
25

0.067
0.04
0.052
0.067

3.0209
3.0046
3.0305
3.0325

3.0126
3.0031
3.0187
3.0201

2.9993
3.0024
3.0149
3.0471

3.0109
3.0034
3.0214
3.0332

0.496
0.428
0.332
0.477

0.532
0.394
0.334
0.520

0.520
0.438
0.354
0.465

0.516
0.420
0.340
0.487

9.57
9.55
9.6
9.64

5.75
7.54
9.37
6.25

Overall mean of Da=3.029 mm, S/N ratio of Da=9.626 dB. Overall mean of Ra=0.361 m, S/N ratio of Ra=9.22 dB

As the total degree of freedom of the factor group was 5,

L18(21 37) was selected as the OA [3032]. As the Ra and Da
values were desired to be the lowest, the S/N ratios of these
quality characteristics were calculated in dB using Eq. 1 according to the LB option in the study [32].
1X 2
10:log
yi
n i1
n

S=N LB

Fig. 4 Microstructure image and

EDS analysis of Al/SiC MMC

!
1

In the equation, n is the number of the experiment and yi is

the ith data obtained [32].

2.5 Selection of an orthogonal array

The experimental results for the Da and Ra used in the processes
of drawing main effect graphs and evaluating the effects of
control factors and the S/N ratios are given in Table 4.

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Fig. 5 Microstructure images of

HSS drills. a Conventional heat
treatment (CHT) and b cryogenic
treatment (CT)

2.6 Predictive equations for Da and Ra with linear regression

analysis
First-order predictive equations were developed for the prediction of Da and Ra by using the experimental results in
linear regression analysis. The first-order linear models containing only the main effects of the control factors are signified
with the equation:
Y 1 y b0 x0 b1 x1 b2 x2 b3 x3

In this equation, Y1 is the estimated answer of the first-order

equation and y is the surface roughness or the dimensional
accuracy measured at the logarithmic scale, x0 =1 is the fixed
variable, and x1, x2 and x3 control factors are the logarithmic
transformations of the cutting tool, cutting speed and feed rate.
The coefficient of experimental error is , and b values (b0, b1,
b2 and b3) are the coefficients of related factors.
Finally, ANOVA was applied in order to determine the
percentage effects of the control factors (independent parameters) on Da and Ra.

3 Results
The Da and Ra measurement results in the drilling of the Al/
SiC MMC samples with CHT and CT HSS drills were resolved
and analysed by means of the Minitab 16.0 package software.

3.1 Microstructural examination of the MMC

The microstructural SEM image and EDS analysis of the Al/
SiC MMC sample are presented in Fig. 4. When the microstructure of the MMC sample was analysed, it was seen that
the SiC particles were distributed homogeneously in general.
There was no aggregate in the MMC despite the partially
coming together of the particles. The results of the EDS
analyses on the SiC particles (Fig. 4a) and matrix structure
(Fig. 4b) are also presented. In addition, the hardness of the
sample was measured as 181 HV and the density as 99.4 %.

3.2 Microstructural characterisation of the cutting tools

The microstructural images after the heat treatments applied to
the cutting tools are displayed in Fig. 5. When the microstructures of the CHT and CT samples were observed, large carbides (LCs), medium carbides (MCs) and fine carbides (FCs)
were seen. In the microstructure of the CHT sample, the
primary carbides seen are LCs in plane geometry in general,
at the scale of 57 m on average; MCs were observed below
the scale of 3 m with a spherical form, and the FCs detected
were below the scale of 1 m (Fig. 5a). On the other hand, in
the microstructure of the CT sample, while an apparent increase in fine carbides can be seen, no LC existence was
detected (Fig. 5b). Moreover, a more regular and homogeneous carbide distribution was observed in the CT sample
compared to the CHT sample.

Table 5 Response table for S/N ratios (smaller is the better) of Da and Ra
Control factors

A
B
C

Dimensional accuracy (Da)

Surface roughness (Ra)

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

max-min

Rank

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Max-min

Rank

9.718
9.607
9.546

9.534
9.598
9.628

9.673
9.705

0.184
0.075
0.160

1
3
2

8.814
11.948
10.460

9.630
8.302
9.924

7.416
7.282

0.817
4.532
3.177

3
1
2

=difference between maximum and minimum

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Table 6 Response table for means of Da and Ra

Control factors

A
B
C
a

Dimensional accuracy (Da)

Surface roughness (Ra)

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Max-min

Rank

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Max-min

Rank

3.062
3.023
3.001a

2.997a
3.020a
3.030

3.046
3.057

0.064
0.026
0.056

1
3
2

0.377
0.257a
0.307a

0.346a
0.393
0.330

0.434
0.447

0.031
0.1773
0.140

3
1
2

Optimum level, =difference between maximum and minimum

3.3 Analysis of the S/N ratio

The average S/N ratio values of all the control factor levels are
presented in Table 5 and their average values of answer in
Table 6. While the signal value represents the real desired
value which the system gives and which is to be measured, the
noise factor represents the portion of the undesired factors in
the value measured. The S/N ratio analysis gave significant
information about the nature of the process of drilling an Al/
SiC composite material with CHT and CT HSS drills under
selected conditions.
The fact that the differences between the highest and the
lowest S/N ratio values of each control factor calculated at
different levels are higher or lower was used in the determination of the factors effective on Da and Ra. The most effective parameters on Da were cutting tool, feed rate and cutting
speed because there were 0.184, 0.160 and 0.075 dB
differences between their levels, respectively (Table 5).
Similarly, the most effective parameters on Ra were
determined to be cutting speed, feed rate and cutting
tool, with differences of 4.532, 3.177 and 0.817 dB,
respectively (Table 5). The optimum values for surface
roughness and dimensional accuracy were reported as
A2B2C1 and A2B1C1, respectively (Table 6).
The main effect graphs showing the effects of the control
factors of Da are given in Fig. 6 and the main effect graphs for
Ra are presented in Fig. 7. As seen in Fig. 6, the optimum
Fig. 6 Mean effect plots for Da

levels of the control factors for dimensional accuracy are A2

(Ct, CT), B2 (Vc, 20 m/min) and C1 (f, 0.04 mm/rev), respectively. Similarly, the optimum levels for minimum surface
roughness are observed to be A2 (Ct, CT), B1 (Vc, 15 m/
min) and C1 (f, 0.04 mm/rev), respectively (Fig. 7).

3.4 Analysis of variance

An analysis of variance (ANOVA) with 95 % confidence interval was carried out for each experiment at
L18 OA in order to determine the effects of the control
factors on selected performance/quality characteristics.
The results of the ANOVA carried out for Da and Ra
are presented in Tables 7 and 8. The cutting tool became the most effective factor on Da, with a contribution of 50.71 %. The CT tool put in a better performance compared to the CHT tool (Fig. 7, Tables 7).
This outcome can be attributed to the fact that the
cryogenic treatment increased the tool hardness and
wear resistance [33], and the tool cutting edges were
subjected to less wear and distortion [34]. Cutting tool
was followed by feed rate and cutting speed with contributions of 25.63 and 6.59 %, respectively. Together with increased feed rate values, the raised chip section and, therefore,
cutting forces increased. This increased vibration and caused
dimensional accuracy to deteriorate [35].

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Fig. 7 Mean effect plots for Ra

The cutting speed became the most effective parameter on

Ra, with a contribution of 51.06 % (Tables 7 and 8). It is
known that, except for ductile materials, low hardness and
resistance values improve machinability while leading to
built-up edge (BUE), burr and low surface quality [25]. With
the cutting speed increased, because of the thermal load on the
cutting edge, diffusion and adhesion wear increased and the
disrupted cutting edge made the process of cutting difficult
[22]. At low speeds, the shining and honing effect created by
the movements of the small additional particles stuck between
the workpiece and the tool flank face caused the surface
roughness to decrease [24, 36]. Cutting speed was followed
by feed rate as an effective parameter, with a content rate of
33.43 %. With the increase in feed rate, BUE formation
increased considerably at the tip of the drill, and this caused
increased surface roughness [37]. Furthermore, vibration,
which increased in parallel with feed rate values, also caused
the surface quality to deteriorate. With a contribution of
2.17 %, no significant effect from cryogenic treatment was
observed on Ra.

and surface roughness (Rapre) in the drilling of Al/SiC

MMCs and the equations which contain the main effects
of the control factors are presented in Eqs. 3 and 4,
respectively. These equations were developed according
to the coded values (CHT=1 and CT=2) of Ct showing
the levels of this control factor and uncoded values of

Table 8 Results of ANOVA for Ra

Surface roughness (Ra)
Source

DoF

SS

F-ratio

Prob. >F

Contr. (%)

A
B
C
Res. err.
Total

1
2
2
12
17

0.0044
0.1034
0.0677
0.0270
0.2025

0.0044
0.0517
0.0338
0.0022

1.93
22.94
15.02

0.190
0.000
0.001

2.17
51.06
33.43
13.34
100

R2 =86.65, R2 (adj)=81.08 (significant at 95 % confidence level)

3.5 Developed predictive equations for Da and Ra

The equations which were developed with linear regression analysis to predict dimensional accuracy (Dapre)
Table 7 Results of ANOVA for Da
Dimensional accuracy (Da)
Source

DoF

SS

F-ratio

Prob. >F

Contr. (%)

A
B
C
Res. err.
Total

1
2
2
12
17

0.0186
0.0024
0.0094
0.0063
0.0367

0.0186
0.0012
0.0047
0.0005

35.67
2.32
9.01

0.000
0.141
0.004

50.71
6.59
25.63
17.07
100

R2 =82.93, R2 (adj)=75.82 (significant at 95 % confidence level)

Fig. 8 Scatterplot of Da_TM; Da_Reg vs Da

Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2014) 74:14951505

1503

Fig. 9 Scatterplot of Ra_TM; Ra_Reg vs Ra

other control factors (i.e. 15, 20, 25 m/min, etc. for Vc;
i.e. 0.04, 0.052, 0.067 mm/rev, etc. for f ). In order to
obtain predictive Da and Ra values at different levels of
control factors, values 1 or 2 showing the levels of
Ct should be put in place of Ct in the equations.
Dapre 2:970:0643 Ct 0:00229 Vc 2:06 f

Rapre 0:2270:0311 Ct 0:0177 Vc 5:29 f

The correlation coefficients of the first-order equations

developed for predictive dimensional accuracy and surface
roughness were calculated as R2 =0.805 and R2 =0.79, respectively. These values show that the equations developed can
suffice to determine all the response values at a confidence
interval of 95 %. Moreover, as seen in these equations, Vc and
f have additive effects on Da and Ra. The comparisons of the
results of dimensional accuracy (Da) obtained experimentally
(Table 4) with the predictive Da values of the Taguci method
(Da_TM) and the predictive Da values obtained using the
equations (Eq. 3) developed with linear regression analysis
(Da_Reg) are presented in Fig. 8 as scatter plots. As can be
seen from this figure, Da_TM and Da_Reg data show a
normal distribution and the points are scattered close to each
other and to the line. Consequently, Da results obtained from
the Taguchi method and the linear regression analysis were
found to be very close. In the scatter plot for Ra presented in
Fig. 9, it can be seen that the predictive Ra values of the
Taguci method (Ra_TM) and the predictive Ra values obtained using the equations (Eq. 4) developed with linear regression analysis (Ra_Reg) show a normal distribution and
Ra_TM data are closer to the line. Therefore, it can be said
that the predictive Da values obtained with the Taguchi method are closer to the experimental Da values and the deviations
are fewer.
3.6 Tool life

0.04 mm/rev

0.052 mm/rev

Chip volume, (mm3 )

1200
1000

CHT

800

CT

1094

812

600

678

400
200

387

0
15

20
Cutting speed, (m/min)

Fig. 10 Tool life of HSS drills in drilling of Al/SiC composite

The tool life results obtained from the drilling of Al/SiC MMC
with CHT and CT drills according to cutting speed and feed
rate are presented in Fig. 10. While 387 mm3 of chip was
formed using a CHT tool with a cutting speed value of 15 m/
min and a feed rate value of 0.04 mm/rev, 812 mm3 of chip
was formed using a CT tool, resulting in a 256 % increase.
Similarly, while 678 mm3 of chip was formed using a CHT
tool with a cutting speed value of 20 m/min and a feed rate
value of 0.052 mm/rev, 1,091 mm3 of chip was formed using a
CT tool, with an increase of 161 %. This example demonstrates that the cryogenic treatment provided a significant

Fig. 11 Optical images of wear

occurred on the HSS drills in the
drilling of Al/SiC MMC at Vc=
20 m/min and f=0.052 mm/rev
cutting conditions. a CHT tool, b
CT tool and c flank face of CT
tool

a)

b)

c)

1504

increase in tool life for the two cutting speed and feed rate
values (Fig. 10).
Cryogenic treatment transforms the residual austenite,
which is a mild and unstable phase remaining in the structure
as a result of the conventional heat treatment, to martensite
and decreases residual strains [3840]. Furthermore, wear
resistance develops when the amount of second phase particles, and especially, the second homogeneous distribution has
a thin structure [41]. As seen in Fig. 5b, cryogenic treatment
increased the amount of secondary carbides and the density,
and it improved the wear resistance by providing a more
homogeneous distribution [13, 42] and as a result, tool life
was improved. The optical images of the cutting tools after
forming 84.78 mm3 of chip using CHT and CT tools with a
cutting speed value of 20 m/min and a feed rate value of
0.052 mm/rev are presented in Fig. 11. One of the main
problems in the processing of MMCs is the formation of
BUE. The BUE caused by the matrix structure on the chisel
edge and the flank wear caused by SiC particles are illustrated
in Fig. 11a, b, respectively. A part of the cutting edge of the
CT tool on which grooves have formed in a regular pattern
due to the abrasive effect of SiC particles along with chipping
can be seen in detail in Fig. 11c.

4 Conclusion
The drilling of Al/SiC MMCs with conventionally and cryogenically treated HSS drills successfully turned out:
1. Al/SiC composites with homogeneous distribution at
99.4 % density as a result of hot-pressing.
2. Upon microstructural examination, no serious lump formation or porosity was found in the MMC samples
produced.
3. A more intense and homogeneous carbide distribution
was provided as a result of the cryogenic treatment. The
transformation of retained austenite to martensite also
contributed to abrasive wear resistance due to the increased hardness value.
4. According to the results of the ANOVA carried out at
95 % confidence level, the most effective parameters on
Da and Ra were cutting tool and cutting speed, with
content rates of 50.71 and 51.06 %, respectively.
5. Experimental studies have shown that cryogenic treatment has positive effects on Da and Ra.
6. While the optimum control factors for Da (A2B2C1) were
determined as a CT cutting tool, a cutting speed of 20 m/
min and a feed rate of 0.04 mm/rev, the optimum control
factors for Ra (A2B1C1) were determined as a CT cutting
tool, a cutting speed of 20 m/min and a feed rate of
0.04 mm/rev.

Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2014) 74:14951505

7. The correlation coefficients of the first-order predictive

equations developed for Da and Ra were calculated as
R2 =80.5 and R2 =79.0, respectively.
8. In the tool life experiments conducted after the cryogenic
treatment, the CT tool attained increases in life of 256 and
161 % compared to the CHT tool.
9. On both cutting tools, BUE formation on the chisel edge
caused by the matrix structure as well as flank wear on the
cutting edge caused by SiC particles could be observed.
Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank Yldz Kalp A.S
for technical support of this study.

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