COMPARATIVE PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF TEXTURED AND UNTEXTURED TURNING INSERTS IN DRY MACHINING OF AL 7075

Abstract

Surface texturing is a proven method to enhance the tribological performance of cutting tools, reducing friction and wear by minimizing contact area and forming micro-lubricant reservoirs. In machining operations, factors such as tool geometry, material, and cutting parameters significantly affect both tool wear and workpiece quality. This study compares the performance of untextured and textured (parallel grooved, perpendicular grooved, and dimpled) tungsten carbide inserts, including a titanium-coated variant, in the dry machining of Al-7075. An L20 (5×4) Taguchi orthogonal array was used for experimental design. Tool wear and surface roughness were measured using a CMM and a Surftonic surface meter, respectively. Analysis through Pareto coefficients, main effect plots, contour plots, and surface plots revealed that the parallel grooved textured insert outperformed all others, demonstrating the lowest surface roughness and tool wear. These findings support the effectiveness of surface texturing in improving machining performance for aluminum alloys.