Optimization of Cutting Parameters for Milling Enset Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composite

Abstract Machining of composite materials is accompanied by sever challenges. Fiber pullouts, fiber breakages, delamination of laminates, matrix burnings are some of the challenges, which brings significant quality and performance reductions of the product. These challenges able to be reduced with controlled or optimized machining parameters. This study investigates the optimization of cutting parameters for end milling of enset fiber reinforced epoxy composite materials to obtain optimum surface roughness and material removal rate simultaneously. The experimental runs designed based on Taguchi L9 (33 ) orthogonal arrays. The influence of cutting parameters is determined by the analysis of variance (ANOVA). Optimization is performed by coupling grey relational analysis and principal component analysis. The results revealed that depth of cut has greater contributions followed by spindle speed and feed rate respectively on the gray relational grades (GRG). The optimum values of surface roughness and material removal rate were obtained at spindle speed of 1000rpm, feed rate of 300mm/min and depth of cut of 1.5mm.