Influence of process parameters on surface topography in ultrasonic vibration- assisted end grinding of SiCp/Al composites

The surface quality in ultrasonic vibration-assisted end grinding of SiCp/Al composites is important as it influences the performance of the finished surface to a great extent. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis to characterize the machined surface topography with 3D surface roughness (Sq, Ssk, and Str) and 3D surface dimension Ds. The results show that the main factors influencing surface roughness Sq is the spindle speed and followed by vibration amplitude, cutting depth, and feed rate. Surface fractal dimension Ds represents the ability of space filling of the machined surface and shows a weak-negative correlation with surface roughness Sq. Compared with Sq, Ds is more sensitive to the pit which is the main defect of machined surface. A large value of surface fractal dimension Ds corresponds to a better and exquisite surface finish. The main factors effecting the surface fractal dimension Ds are spindle speed and feed rate, and influencing degree of these two factors is similar. The influence order of process parameters on Ds is: feed rate > spindle speed > vibration amplitude > cutting depth.