Optimization of Surface Roughness and Material Removal Rate in CNC Turning of En 8 Steel Using Taguchi Method

CNC turning is one among the metal cutting process in which quality of the finished product depends mainly upon the machining parameters such as feed, speed, depth of cut, type of coolant used, types of inserts used, tool geometry etc. This paper outlines an experimental study to optimize the effects of cutting parameters of CNC turning on surface finish and Material removal rate (MRR) of EN8 alloy steel work material by employing Taguchi techniques. The Taguchi parameter design method is an efficient experimental method in which a response variable can be studied, using fewer experimental runs as compared to factorial design method. The control parameters for this operation included: cutting speed, feed rate and depth of cut. Response variable for optimization are Surface roughness and Material removal rate. The experimentation plan is designed using Taguchi’s L9 Orthogonal Array (OA) and Minitab 16 statistical software is used. Optimal cutting parameters for, minimum surface roughness (SR) and maximum material removal rate were obtained. Thus, it is possible to increase machine utilization and decrease production cost in an automated manufacturing environment.