Analysis and optimization of cutter geometric parameters for surface integrity in milling titanium alloy using a modified grey-Taguchi method

Surface integrity determines the performance and quality of the end product. It often needs to change the input parameters, such as cutting parameter, cutting tool geometry and material, and tool coating, to obtain the best machining surface integrity. This article presents and demonstrates the effectiveness for the multi-objective optimization of cutter geometric parameters for surface integrity of milling Ti-5Al-5Mo-5V-1Cr-1Fe titanium alloy via grey relational analysis coupled with the Taguchi method, entropy weight method, and analytic hierarchy process. The main influence factors are chosen as radial rake angle, primary radial relief angle, and helix angle, while surface roughness and residual stress are taken as performance characteristics. Based on the Taguchi method, an L16 (4(3)) orthogonal array is chosen for the experiments. The effect of cutter geometric parameters on surface roughness and residual stress is analysed by signal-to-noise ratio. Then, the multiple objectives optimization problem is successfully converted to a single-objective optimization of grey relational grade with the grey relational analysis. The weight coefficient for grey relational grade is determined by entropy weight method integrated with analytic hierarchy process. The results show that the order of importance for controllable factor to the milling surface integrity, in sequence, is radial rake angle, primary radial relief angle, and helix angle. The validation experiment verifies that the proposed optimization method has the ability to find out the optimal geometric parameters in terms of milling surface integrity.