Influence of Cutting Parameters and Tool Geometry on Topography of Hard Turned Surfaces

Three-dimensional topography measurement is a focus area of precision machining because it provides detailed information on the functional behavior of contacting surfaces. The purpose of this study is to analyze how the process parameters and the edge geometry of the cutting insert influence the topographical characteristics of hardened 16MnCr5 steel surfaces and to determine the favorable combinations of technology parameter values based on the analyzed topography parameters (Ssk, Sku, Sz, Sa, Sk, Spk, Svk). A research question is whether the analyzed parameters can be substituted by each other or not. A hard turning experiment was carried out based on a full factorial design of experiments, and the areas of the machined surfaces were scanned and analyzed by analysis of variance, regression analysis (response function), and correlation analysis. It was found that there are strong correlations between the topography parameters that allow the substitution of one with another; the main influencing cutting parameter is the feed rate for both insert types. The contributions of the study are the numerical information with regard to the correlations among the topography parameters, as well as the extent of the influence of cutting parameters.