FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS AND PROCESS PARAMETERS OPTIMIZATION OF AA2024-T351 ALLOY MACHINING UNDER DIFFERENT COOLING ENVIRONMENTS

Aluminum alloys are popular in the industrial applications after steel and cast iron. The lower strength of Aluminum alloys can be improved by the addition of alloying elements and heat treatment related operations. AA 2024 - T351 is the alloy of aluminum with copper, and in addition tempering and stress relieving is performed as well to improve the strength related characteristics. AA2024-T351 is a high-strength aluminum alloy that has a combination of properties that make it particularly well-suited for use in aerospace and aircraft structural components. It is relatively lightweight, which makes it an attractive material for aircraft design, but it is also exceptionally strong and can withstand high stresses and loads. This combination of strength and lightness is particularly important in aerospace applications where weight is a critical factor. In addition to its strength and weight properties, AA2024-T351 is also highly resistant to corrosion. This makes it an ideal material for aircraft structures, which are exposed to a range of environmental conditions, including high altitude, extreme temperatures, and exposure to moisture and chemicals. There are several machining related challenges available when it comes to the machining performance of aluminum alloys. These challenges are linked with the chip formation due to sticky nature of material, strain hardening behavior and low thermal conductivity. Aluminum alloys can be difficult to machine due to the formation of long, stringy chips that can clog or damage cutting tools. This is because aluminum has a tendency to adhere to the cutting tool, which can lead to built-up edges and poor chip evacuation. Machining performance can be enhanced by the application of cutting fluids. The machining of AA2024-T351 can be carried out using various cooling methods, including dry, flood, and cryogenic cooling. Each of these methods has its advantages and disadvantages, and the choice of cooling method depends on various factors, such as the machining process parameters, tooling material and geometry, and workpiece material properties etc. The current study investigated the machining performance under the influence of different cooling environments such as dry, flood and liquid nitrogen based cryogenic. In this work, finite element based numerical modeling has been utilized to capture the behavior of machining AA2024-T351. The study varies cooling method, cutting speeds and feed levels using Taguchi design of experiments. The output responses of cutting forces, cutting temperature, cutting power were calculated. The findings were found in good agreement with the experimental data available in the literature.