Machining of AISI 52100 Steel: Statistical Insights into Dry Environment with Variable Tool Nose Radius

The present work studies the machinability of bearing steel, AISI 52100 in dry turning process with two different tool nose radius, i.e. 0.4 mm and 0.8 mm. A full factorial design was used to analyze the effect of cutting speed, feed, and depth of cut in terms of a cutting force, surface roughness, and energy consumption. The experimental data demonstrated that higher cutting forces and energy consumption always occurs when increasing the tool nose radius (0.8 mm), and the higher surface roughness in the case of the smaller (0.4 mm) nose radius. ANOVA and S/N ratio analysis indicated that the most important factor affecting cutting force was the feed rate of feed per tooth, and the depth of cut also had considerable effects on the surface roughness between the two depths of cut, particularly for the 0.4 mm radius tool. Although the trend in force and energy as a function of both radius were close to each other, the surface finish performance differed significantly. The results can be used in setting cutting parameters for high-hardness steels (AISI 52100) to balance productivity and surface quality.