Experimental Investigation of Ultrasonic-Assisted Milling of Soda Glass Using Factorial Design of Experiments

Soda glass is a difficult-to-machine material widely used in industry. In this work, ultrasonic-assisted milling (UAM) of soda glass is investigated and compared to conventional milling (CM). Statistically designed experiments are conducted with and without cutting fluid at different levels of the spindle speed, feedrate, depth of cut, and tool particle-concentration. The significant factors and their interactions are identified by modelling the process parameters and the corresponding responses in terms of cutting forces and moment. Results show a reduction of axial cutting force and moment at higher spindle speed and lower feedrate and depth of cut. The application of ultrasonic vibration-assistance and cutting fluid demonstrates a significant effect on the axial cutting force and moment.