Burr edge occupancy: edge finishing index for milling machined parts

Abstract

Machining burrs are formed at all machined workpiece edges. One useful solution to decrease machining time and cost, in particular for milling parts, is to generate machined parts edges with minimum burr. This article proposes burr edge occupancy ηs as an index to evaluate deburring difficulty and, consequently, adequate selection of suitable deburring methods. Initially the sensitivity of ηs to cutting parameters must be evaluated. We investigated the main governing factors on ηs when slot milling two types of aluminium alloys (from different families) that are used in the automotive and aerospace industries. The cutting parameters that led to edges with minimum ηs are presented. It was found that, unlike most burr size attributes, ηs is sensitive to variation of the cutting parameters used: cutting speed, family of material, and cutting tools. Lower ηs means less time and effort for deburring and edge finishing of machined parts. Furthermore, ηs measurement is more convenient than the procedures used to measure other burr size attributes, including burr height (bh) and burr thickness (bt).