Surface Structure Analysis of Syntactic Metal Foams Machined by Milling

In the automotive and aerospace industries the engineers are encouraged to develop new materials, having special features mainly for the purposes of mass reduction, favourable (specifi) mechanical properties, appropriate strength, heat resistance, and environmental impacts, becoming even more critical technically. The matrix of the metal matrix composite, being the subject of our research, is an AlMgSi1 aluminum alloy: it contains 50-55 volume per cent of Al2O3 particles as reinforcement, having an average diameter of 100 - 150 mu m. After machining, the surface of materials, having such large particles, is divided by open cavities, therefore other methods have to be used in order to describe and characterise the surface structure than in the case of steel or aluminum components, having a homogeneous structure. In our present article the aim is to analyse the microgeometrical properties of the surface of metal matrix composite materials, produced to the tests and machined with shoulder milling; furthermore, the measures, being able to evaluate the produced surface in an exact way, will be determined.