The Effects of Cutting Parameters on Cutting Force and Tribological Properties of Machined Surface Under Dry Turning of AISI304L Austenitic Stainless Steel

In this study, the effects of cutting speed and feed rate on the roughness parameters Ra, Rz, Rsk, Rku, Rpk, Rvk, and A2 were examined during machining with coated carbide tools in a dry environment. The authors introduced the Rvk/Rpk ratio, a coefficient that facilitates a simpler evaluation of surface wear resistance. Specifically, if this ratio is greater than 1, the surface is more wear-resistant, while values less than 1 indicate a higher tendency for surface wear. The Taguchi OA method was used to analyze and identify the significance of technological parameters on output characteristics. Based on the results, it was established that feed rate has the greatest impact on all output characteristics. The highest cutting force was measured at a cutting speed of 60 m/min and a feed rate of 0.15 mm/rev, attributed to the fact that at lower cutting speeds, the base material does not soften while the cross-sectional area of the chip increases. To achieve the lowest Ra and Rz surface roughness, a cutting speed of 100 m/min and a feed rate of 0.05 mm/rev are recommended. If the goal is to enhance surface wear resistance and improve oil retention capability, machining with a cutting speed of 80–100 m/min and a feed rate of 0.15 mm/rev is advisable, as the coarser machining increases both the Rvk/Rpk ratio and the oil-retaining pocket size, which together improve the wear resistance of the machined surface.