Surface finish in turning of hardened steel

Surface finish, dimensional accuracy, and integrity of surface layer are the main criteria in finish turning of hard steel. The effect of cutting parameters on the surface finish generated during hard turning steel AISI 1552 using ceramic tools has been studied in this paper. A mathematical model describing the dependence of the surface roughness on the main cutting parameters, such as cutting speed, feed, depth of cut, and tool nose radius, was developed. A comparison between the above mentioned relationship and earlier models for finish turning and grinding shows a strong similarity between hard turning and grinding operations. The maximum average roughness on the surface generated was 0.6 μm and the minimum was 0.04 μm. It was found also that the surface roughness generated is affected by the radius of the tool nose and by the cutting angles such as the rake angle, clearance angle, and the angle of approach.