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Application of Grey relational analysis in high

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ARTICLE in INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MATERIALS AND PRODUCT TECHNOLOGY · JANUARY 2015

Impact Factor: 0.26 · DOI: 10.1504/IJMPT.2015.070077

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Int. J. Materials and Product Technology, Vol. 51, No. 1, 2015 17

Application of Grey relational analysis in high speed

machining of AA (6351)-SiC-B4C hybrid composite

S. Thirumalai Kumaran* and M. Uthayakumar

Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Kalasalingam University,
Krishnankoil – 626126, India
Fax: 04563-289322
Email: thirumalaikumaran@yahoo.com
Email: uthaykumar@gmail.com
*Corresponding author

Adam Slota and Jerzy Zajac

Institute of Production Engineering,
Cracow University of Technology,
31-155 Krakow, Poland
Email: slota@mech.pk.edu.pl
Email: zajac@mech.pk.edu.pl

Abstract: This paper presents an effective approach for the optimisation of

cutting conditions in machining aluminium alloy (6351) matrix reinforced with
5 wt. % silicon carbide (SiC) and 5 wt. % of boron carbide (B4C) with multiple
performance characteristics based on the grey relational analysis. Machining
study was carried out with polycrystalline diamond (PCD) tool to identify
optimum cutting parameters with an objective to minimise the surface
roughness, power consumption and to maximise the material removal rate. The
main factors deciding the above objectives are cutting speed, feed and depth of
cut. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is performed and signal-to-noise (S/N)
ratio is determined to understand the significant level of each cutting
parameters. The experimental results showed that the cutting speed exerted the
greatest effect on the machining of the composite (51.37%) followed by the
feed (36.65%) and depth of cut (11.66%). The optimised cutting parameters are
then verified through a confirmation experiment.

Keywords: surface roughness; power consumption; material removal rate; grey

relational analysis; analysis of variance; ANOVA.

Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Thirumalai Kumaran, S.,

Uthayakumar, M., Slota, A. and Zajac, J. (2015) ‘Application of grey relational
analysis in high speed machining of AA (6351)-SiC-B4C hybrid composite’,
Int. J. Materials and Product Technology, Vol. 51, No. 1, pp.17–31.

Biographical notes: S. Thirumalai Kumaran graduated in the field of

mechanical engineering and completed his post graduation in manufacturing
engineering. He is currently doing active research in the area of machining of
metal matrix composites. His other areas of interest include characterisation
and tribological studies of composite materials.

Copyright © 2015 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

18 S. Thirumalai Kumaran Kumaran et al.

M. Uthayakumar completed his doctoral work in the area of precision

machining. He is actively working in the development of high strength light
weight composites. His other areas of interest include processing of metal
matrix, polymer matrix, ceramic matrix composite and its performance studies.

Adam Slota received his MSc and PhD in the field of machine tools building
from Cracow University of Technology. His main research interests focus on
modelling, simulation and control of discrete event manufacturing and
assembly systems. He also works on coordination issues in multi robot systems.

Jerzy Zajac currently serves as the Director for Research at the Production
Engineering Institute. He received his MSc, PhD and DSc from Cracow
University of Technology. His main research focuses on modelling, simulation,
optimisation and control of manufacturing systems; information integration in
production systems; and underwater bio-inspired robots.

1 Introduction

Aluminium and its alloys receive a substantial attention due to their reputation as
stronger, stiffer, good corrosion resistance and low cost materials. The problems
associated with these materials are poor high temperature performance and less load
carrying capacity (Canakci et al., 2014). To overcome these issues, aluminium reinforced
metal matrix composites (MMCs) has been developed. Various types of reinforcements
are used in aluminium alloy matrices such as silicon carbide, alumina, zirconia, boron
carbide etc. in the form of fibres, particulate and whiskers (Pramanik et al., 2006).
Among various forms, the particulate reinforced aluminium alloy composite created a
greater attention to the researchers due to their substantial properties (Varol et al., 2014).
These composites are the most widely used and are produced through various routes.
Compared to other fabrication process the conventional stir casting route has some
important advantages such as easier control of matrix structure, simplicity and low cost of
processing (Canakci et al., 2013a).
The aluminium-based MMCs are found in several industrial and engineering
applications (Riaz Ahamed et al., 2010). Improved machinability is inevitable in such
applications to attain a good dimensional tolerance for efficient assembly (Hung et al.,
1996). The high speed precision machining is an important manufacturing process
and is widely used in the field of high technological applications, especially for turning
MMC materials (Suresh Kumar et al., 2014a). Some performance characteristics may
include surface roughness, vibration, tool wear, material removal rate, power
consumption, etc.
The surface quality of the machined part plays a vital role during the manufacturing
process. It is mainly influenced by the geometry of the tool and the input cutting
conditions. Appropriate selection of machining parameter settings are required to reduce
the surface roughness (Ra) of the component. Reis and Abrao (2005) have conducted a
detailed study on the machining of aluminium alloy 6351 subjected to continuous turning
 Application of grey relational analysis in high speed machining 19

using cemented carbide, diamond coated carbide and PCD cutting tools. The
experimental result shows that the best surface finish was obtained using PCD tool at
higher cutting speeds and at lower feed and depth of cut. Basheer et al. (2008)
investigated the machining performance of Al-SiC MMCs using PCD cutting tool. The
better surface quality was obtained at the lowest value of feed and the largest tool-nose
radius.
The selection of optimal machining parameter is essential to achieve higher MRR, as
it reduces the production time. Andrewes et al. (2000) conducted the machining study
for Al-SiC MMCs with PCD and chemical vapour deposition (CVD) diamond coated
tools and reported that both of the tools were able to remove a greater amount of material,
but the good surface finish on the work piece was able to achieve with PCD cutting
tool. Karpat and Ozel (2007) obtained the optimal process parameters for three
different case studies, which minimises tool wear and surface roughness values and
maximises the productivity at the same time, or maximises both tool life and material
removal rate, or minimises both machining induced stresses on the surface and also
surface roughness.
The power consumption (P) required for manufacturing of a product plays a major
role in determining the cost of it. Very few researchers have studied the influence of
power consumption in machining operation. Aggarwal et al. (2008) found the optimal
cutting parameters for minimising power consumption during the machining of AISI
P-20 tool steel, using response surface methodology (RSM) and the Taguchi technique.
Taguchi’s technique as well as the 3D surface plots of RSM revealed that the cryogenic
environment is the most significant factor in minimising the power consumption,
followed by cutting speed and depth of cut. Thirumalai Kumaran and Uthayakumar
(2014) investigated the machining studies of AA-SiC-B4C hybrid composite and reported
that the cutting speed and depth of cut contributed more on affecting the power
consumption by 53.67% and 32.08% respectively.
Grey relational analysis can be effectively applied to solve multi objective problem in
manufacturing process. In recent years, the analysis has become a powerful tool to
determine the optimal parameters in machining study. Many researchers have
investigated the machining performance using grey relational analysis to improve the
product quality (Narender Singh et al., 2004; Uthayakumar et al., 2013; Lu et al., 2009;
Tzeng et al., 2009; Siddiquee et al., 2010). The statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA)
is used to find the contribution of each input performance characteristics on the output
response (Canakci et al., 2013b).
This work is proposed to determine the optimal cutting conditions during machining
of AA(6351)-SiC-B4C hybrid MMCs using grey relational analysis. The major quality
characteristics which are used to assess the process are Ra, MRR and P, and the
corresponding input parameters are cutting speed, feed and depth of cut. The L27
orthogonal array was selected to carry out the experiments on a CNC turning centre using
a PCD tool. ANOVA was performed to predict the significance of each input parameters
on the output responses. Finally the predicted and experimental values are compared and
the improvement in grey relational grade was found through the confirmation experiment.
20 S. Thirumalai Kumaran Kumaran et al.

2 Experimental procedure

2.1 Composite fabrication

The 6351 aluminium alloy matrix is reinforced with 5 wt. % SiC and 5 wt. % B4C
ceramic particles. The average particle size of the SiC and B4C are 69 and 149 μm
respectively. SiC has high strength, good thermal resistant, low density and hence it can
be used at elevated temperatures (Chen, 2002). B4C exhibits good physical and
mechanical properties, chemical resistance as well as neutron absorbing (Shorowordi
et al., 2006). The stir casting method is selected for the fabrication of the composite, as it
is relatively inexpensive and offers better particle distribution in the matrix due to stirring
action (Kalaiselvan et al., 2011).
The scraps of AA6351 are preheated at 450°C for 3 to 4 h in a resistance furnace. The
reinforcements are also preheated to make their surfaces oxidised. The preheated
aluminium scraps are melted completely and then slightly cooled to maintain the slurry in
the semisolid state. Later, the preheated reinforcements are added and mixed manually
for about 10–15 minutes. Manual mixing is used because it was very difficult to mix
using automatic device when the alloy is in a semisolid state (Thirumalai Kumaran et al.,
2014). After thorough stirring, the melt is poured into steel moulds of 32 mm diameter
and 140 mm in length and allowed to cool to obtain cast rods. The final pouring
temperature is controlled to be within 720°C ± 10°C. Further, to get uniform size and
shape, the work piece materials are cut to cylindrical bars of 30 mm diameter and
100 mm length.

2.2 Material characteristics

Table 1 shows the properties of the prepared composite. The tensile and yield strength are
measured based on ASTM B557M-10. The density is found by the ‘rule of mixture’ and
the hardness is measured by the Brinells hardness testing machine. The distribution of the
reinforcement particles on the matrix is verified using optical microscopic image and is
shown in Figure 1. Further, the element mapping is performed by using the energy
dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Element maps are extremely useful for displaying
the distributions of the particles and for showing the compositional zonation. It often
displays false colour, which helps to distinguish subtle variations by expanding the range
of visible hues. Figure 2 shows the higher concentration in yellow (SiC particles) and the
lower concentration by blue (B4C particles). The base aluminium matrix is indicated by
green. Thus the EDS results confirms,
1 the spatial distribution of the reinforcements in the matrix
2 the nature of eutectic along the grain boundaries.

Table 1 Properties of the composite

Yield Tensile
Density Hardness
Composite strength strength
(kg/m3) (HB)
(N/mm2) (N/mm2)
AA-5 wt.% SiC-5 wt.% B4C 98.75 120.32 2715 71.58
 Application of grey relational analysis in high speed machining 21

Figure 1 Microstructure of the composite

B4C

SiC

Figure 2 Element mapping by EDS (see online version for colours)

Al

B4C SiC

2.3 Selection of machining parameter

A high speed CNC turning centre is used in this study, to determine the optimal
machining parameters such as cutting speed, feed and depth of cut with an objective to
minimise the Ra, P and to maximise the MRR. The experimental conditions are listed in
Table 2.
22 S. Thirumalai Kumaran Kumaran et al.

Table 2 Experimental conditions

Equipment/experimental parameters Specification

Machine CNC turning machine (Kirloskar EC 411)
Tool PCD brazed tool
Nose radius = 0.5 mm, rack angle = 6°,
front rack angle = 12°
Coolant Dry machining
Machining parameters Cutting speed: 2,000, 2,250 and 2,500 rpm
Feed: 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 mm/rev
Depth of cut: 0.5, 0.75 and 1 mm
Surface roughness apparatus Mitutoyo make Surftest SJ-301
Measuring range: 350 µm
Measuring speed: 0.25 mm/s
Power harmonic analyser AC voltage: 600 V, AC current: 2000 amps
3φ/1φ true RMS power clamp

The arithmetic mean roughness values are measured by a profile meter set to a sampling
length of 5 mm. The power consumed during turning process is measured by a power
harmonic analyser. The positive and negative probes of the analyser are connected to
their respective input phases (3φ) and their resultant value was recorded in kilowatt (kW).
The MRR was calculated empirically [equation (1)] by measuring the volume of metal
removed over a period of time.
π * L ( D12 − D22 )
MRR = (1)
4l
fr N

where D1 and D2 are the initial and final diameters, L is length of cut, f is feed and N is
cutting speed.

2.3 Plan of experiments and its results

The selection of three factors and their levels are shown in Table 3. To select a suitable
orthogonal array, the total degrees of freedom (DOF) need to be computed. The three
level machining parameter counts for two DOF (number of levels – 1). The DOF
associated with interaction between the two machining parameters are given by the
product of the DOF for the two machining parameters. In the present study, the
interaction between the machining parameters is neglected. Hence, the DOF was found to
be eight including the error. Once the DOF is computed, a suitable orthogonal array must
be selected. The L27 orthogonal array is used to conduct the experiments. The layout of
the L27 orthogonal array with the results of Ra, P and MRR are shown in Table 4.
 Application of grey relational analysis in high speed machining 23

Table 3 Factors and levels

Levels
Machining parameters Unit
1 2 3
Cutting speed rpm 2,000 2,250 2,500
Feed mm/rev 0.1 0.2 0.3
Depth of cut mm 0.5 0.75 1

Table 4 Experimental results of Ra, P and MRR

Ex. no N f a Ra (µm) P (kW) MRR (mm3/min)

1 2,000 0.1 0.5 5.39 1.86 9,263.00
2 2,000 0.1 0.75 5.21 1.82 13,776.75
3 2,000 0.1 1 5.68 2.16 18,212.00
4 2,000 0.2 0.5 7.24 1.92 18,526.00
5 2,000 0.2 0.75 7.77 1.97 27,553.50
6 2,000 0.2 1 11.27 2.26 36,424.00
7 2,000 0.3 0.5 10.12 1.93 27,789.00
8 2,000 0.3 0.75 10.67 2.06 41,330.25
9 2,000 0.3 1 15.13 2.36 54,636.00
10 2,250 0.1 0.5 5.38 1.68 10,420.88
11 2,250 0.1 0.75 5.83 1.82 15,498.84
12 2,250 0.1 1 5.99 2.02 20,488.50
13 2,250 0.2 0.5 5.78 2.04 20,841.75
14 2,250 0.2 0.75 6.78 2.02 30,997.69
15 2,250 0.2 1 6.98 2.23 40,977.00
16 2,250 0.3 0.5 6.87 2.23 31,262.63
17 2,250 0.3 0.75 8.23 2.02 46,496.53
18 2,250 0.3 1 7.22 2.36 61,465.50
19 2,500 0.1 0.5 8.23 1.88 11,578.75
20 2,500 0.1 0.75 10 1.74 17,220.94
21 2,500 0.1 1 12.46 1.85 22,765.00
22 2,500 0.2 0.5 7.56 2.04 23,157.50
23 2,500 0.2 0.75 9.81 2.01 34,441.88
24 2,500 0.2 1 10.15 2.02 45,530.00
25 2,500 0.3 0.5 8.97 2.06 34,736.25
26 2,500 0.3 0.75 10.23 2.02 51,662.81
27 2,500 0.3 1 11.59 2.19 68,295.00
24 S. Thirumalai Kumaran Kumaran et al.

3 Grey relational analysis

3.1 S/N ratio and its normalisation

The S/N ratio was initially performed for the experimental results. It represents
the desirable and undesirable values. There are three different types of S/N ratio –
lower-the-better, higher-the-better and nominal-the-best (Ramanujam et al., 2011).
Basically, the higher the material removal rate in the machining process, the better is the
machining performance. However, the smaller the surface roughness and power
consumption in the machining process, the better is the machining performance.
Therefore, the material removal rate is the higher-the-better performance characteristic
and the surface roughness and power consumption are the lower-the-better performance
characteristic. The S/N ratio for calculating the lower-the-better characteristics can be
expressed as
⎛1 ⎞
∑
n
nij = −10 log ⎜ yij2 ⎟ (2)
⎝n j =1 ⎠
The S/N ratio for calculating the higher-the-better characteristics can be expressed as

⎛1 1 ⎞
∑
n
nij = −10 log ⎜ ⎟ (3)
⎜n j =1 y 2 ⎟
⎝ ij ⎠

where nij is the jth S/N ratio of the ith experiment, yij is the ith experiment at the jth test and
n is the total number of tests.
Further, a linear normalisation of the experimental results is performed between 0
and 1, which is called as the grey relational generating. The normalised results xij for
larger-the-better characteristics (MRR) can be expressed as
xij − min j yij
xij = (4)
max j yiy − min j yij

For lower-the-better performance characteristic (Ra and P) the normalised results xij can
be expressed as
max j yij − xij
xij = (5)
max j yiy − min j yij

where yij is the ith experimental results in the jth experiment. Basically, the larger
normalised results correspond to the better performance and the best-normalised results
should be equal to one. Table 5 shows the calculated S/N ratio and the normalised results
for Ra, P and MRR.
Table 5 S/N ratio and the normalised results for Ra, P and MRR

S/N ratio (dB) Normalisation

Ex. no
Ra P MRR Ra P MRR
1 –14.6318 –5.3902 79.3350 0.9818 0.7352 0
2 –14.3368 –5.2014 82.7829 1 0.7941 0.1986
3 –15.087 –6.6890 85.2071 0.9526 0.2941 0.3383
 Application of grey relational analysis in high speed machining 25

Table 5 S/N ratio and the normalised results for Ra, P and MRR (continued)

S/N ratio (dB) Normalisation

Ex. no
Ra P MRR Ra P MRR
4 –17.1948 –5.6660 85.3556 0.7953 0.6470 0.3469
5 –17.8084 –5.8893 88.8035 0.7419 0.5735 0.5456
6 –21.0385 –7.0821 91.2277 0.3891 0.1470 0.6853
7 –20.1036 –5.7111 88.8774 0.5050 0.6323 0.5499
8 –20.5633 –6.2773 92.3253 0.4496 0.4411 0.7486
9 –23.5968 –7.4582 94.7495 0 0 0.8883
10 –14.6156 –4.5061 80.3580 0.9828 1 0.0589
11 –15.3134 –5.2014 83.8059 0.9375 0.7941 0.2576
12 –15.5485 –6.1070 86.2302 0.9213 0.5 0.3973
13 –15.2386 –6.1926 86.3786 0.9425 0.4705 0.4059
14 –16.6246 –6.1070 89.8265 0.8417 0.5 0.6046
15 –16.8771 –6.9661 92.2508 0.8215 0.1911 0.7443
16 –16.7391 –6.9661 89.9005 0.8326 0.1911 0.6088
17 –18.308 –6.1070 93.3484 0.6955 0.5 0.8075
18 –17.1707 –7.4582 95.7726 0.7973 0 0.9472
19 –18.3080 –5.4831 81.2732 0.6955 0.7058 0.1116
20 –20.0001 –4.8109 84.7211 0.5171 0.9117 0.3103
21 –21.9104 –5.3434 87.1453 0.2691 0.75 0.4500
22 –17.5704 –6.1926 87.2938 0.7631 0.4705 0.4586
23 –19.8334 –6.0639 90.7417 0.5362 0.5147 0.6573
24 –20.1293 –6.1070 93.1659 0.5020 0.5 0.7970
25 –19.0558 –6.2773 90.8156 0.6209 0.4411 0.6616
26 –20.1975 –6.1070 94.2635 0.4939 0.5 0.8602
27 –21.2817 –6.8088 96.6877 0.3568 0.25 1

3.2 Grey relational coefficient and grade

The grey relational coefficient is calculated to express the relationship between the ideal
(best) and actual normalised experimental results. The grey relational coefficient δij can
be expressed as

min min xi0 − xij + ζ max max xi0 − xij

i j i j
δij = (6)
xi0 − xij + ζ max max xi0 − xij
i j

where xi0 is the ideal normalised results for the ith performance characteristic and ζ is the
distinguishing coefficient which is defined in the range between 0 and 1.
26 S. Thirumalai Kumaran Kumaran et al.

The grey relational grade is then computed by taking the average of the grey
relational coefficient corresponding to each performance characteristic. The overall
evaluation of the multiple performance characteristics is based on the grey relational
grade, that is
m
1
γj =
m ∑ζ
i =1
ij (7)

where γj is the grey relational grade for the jth experiment and m is the number of
performance characteristics.
Table 6 Calculated grey relational coefficient, grey relational grade and its orders

Grey relational coefficient

Ex. no Grey relational grade Orders
Ra P MRR
1 0.9649 0.6538 0.3333 0.6507 4
2 1 0.7083 0.3842 0.6975 2
3 0.9134 0.4146 0.4304 0.5861 14
4 0.7095 0.5862 0.4336 0.5764 15
5 0.6595 0.5396 0.5239 0.5743 16
6 0.4500 0.3695 0.6137 0.4778 27
7 0.5025 0.5762 0.5262 0.5350 24
8 0.4760 0.4722 0.6654 0.5378 22
9 0.3333 0.3333 0.8174 0.4946 26
10 0.9668 1 0.3469 0.7712 1
11 0.8888 0.7083 0.4024 0.6665 3
12 0.8641 0.5 0.4534 0.6058 10
13 0.8969 0.4857 0.4570 0.6132 7
14 0.7595 0.5 0.5584 0.6059 9
15 0.7369 0.3820 0.6616 0.5935 11
16 0.7492 0.3820 0.5610 0.5641 18
17 0.6215 0.5 0.7220 0.6145 6
18 0.7116 0.3333 0.9045 0.6498 5
19 0.6215 0.6296 0.3601 0.5371 23
20 0.5087 0.85 0.4203 0.5930 12
21 0.4062 0.6666 0.4762 0.5163 25
22 0.6785 0.4857 0.4801 0.5481 19
23 0.5188 0.5074 0.5933 0.5398 21
24 0.5010 0.5 0.7112 0.5707 17
25 0.5688 0.4722 0.5963 0.5458 20
26 0.4969 0.5 0.7816 0.5928 13
27 0.4373 0.4 1 0.6124 8
 Application of grey relational analysis in high speed machining 27

The grey relational grade also indicates the degree of influence that the comparability
sequence could exert over the reference sequence (Lin, 2004). If the sequences are
identical, then the value of grey relational grade is equal to 1. Table 6 shows the
calculated grey relational coefficient, grey relational grade and its orders.

4 Results and discussion

4.1 Analyse the results of grey relational grade

According to performed experimental design, it is clearly observed from Figure 3 that the
experiment number 10 has the highest grey relation grade. Thus, the tenth experiment
gives the best multi-performance characteristics among the 27 experiments.

Figure 3 Grey relational grade (see online version for colours)

0.9
0.8
Grey relational grade

0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27
Experiment Number

Table 7 Response table for the grey relational grade

Response table
Symbol Machining parameter
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Max-Min
N Cutting speed 0.5700 0.6316 0.5618 0.4316
f Feed 0.6249 0.5666 0.5719 0.4249
a Depth of cut 0.5935 0.6025 0.5675 0.3025
Error 0.5773 0.5944 0.5917 0.2944
Note: Mean value of grey relational grade = 0.5878.
Since the experimental design is orthogonal, it is possible to find the effect of each
machining parameter on the grey relational grade at different levels. For example, the
mean of the grey relational grade for the cutting speed at levels 1, 2 and 3 can be
calculated by taking the average of the grey relational grade for the experiments 1 to 9,
10 to 18 and 19 to 27 respectively. The mean of the grey relational grade for each level of
the other machining parameters can be computed in the similar manner. The response
table for the grey relational grade at each level of the machining parameters is shown in
Table 7. In addition, the total mean of the grey relational grade for the 27 experiments is
28 S. Thirumalai Kumaran Kumaran et al.

also calculated and listed in Table 7. Figure 4 shows the response to the grey relational
grade. Basically, the larger the grey relational grade, the better is the multiple
performance characteristics.

Figure 4 Response to the grey relational grade (see online version for colours)

0.64
Grey relational grade

0.62
0.6
0.58
0.56
0.54
0.52
v1 v2 v3 f1 f2 f3 a1 a2 a3
Machining parameter level

4.2 Analysis of variance

The results of ANOVA are shown in Table 8. It is to study, how the input machining
parameters significantly affects the output performance characteristics. The frequency
test (F-test) is utilised in statistics to analyse the significant effects of the parameters,
which form the quality characteristics (Suresh Kumar et al., 2014b). This analysis was
carried out for 95% level of confidence. The F values of cutting speed, feed and depth of
cut were all greater than F0.05,2,26 = 3.146 and have statistical, physical significance on the
machining behaviour of the composites.
Table 8 Results of ANOVA

Degree of Sum of Mean of

Machining Contribution
freedom squares square F-test
parameter (Q) %
(DOF) (SS) (MS)
Cutting speed (N) 2 0.00873 0.00437 174.76 51.37
Feed (f) 2 0.00623 0.00312 124.72 36.65
Depth of cut (a) 2 0.00198 0.00099 39.68 11.66
Error 20 0.00050 0.00003 0.32
Total 26 0.01746 100

The results of ANOVA indicate that the cutting speed is the most significant machining
parameter for affecting the multiple performance characteristics (Q = 51.37%), followed
by the feed (Q = 36.65%) and depth of cut (Q = 11.66%). Based on the above discussion,
the optimal machining parameters are the cutting speed at level 2, feed at level 1 and
depth of cut at level 1 (tenth experiment). The Pareto chart for the contribution
percentage of each factors of the machining parameter is shown in Figure 5.
 Application of grey relational analysis in high speed machining 29

Figure 5 Pareto chart (see online version for colours)

60
Percentage Contribution
50
40
30
20
10
0
Cutting speed Feed rate Depth of cut

4.3 Confirmation test

The final step is to verify the improvement of the performance characteristics using
optimal level of the machining parameters (N2, f1, a1). Table 9 shows a comparison of
predicted and the experimental machining parameters. The predicted grey relational
grade can be calculated as

q
γ = γm + ∑γ − γ
i =1
i m (8)

where γm is the total mean of the grey relational grade, γi is the mean of the grey relational
grade at the optimal level and q is the number of the machining parameters that
significantly affects the multiple response characteristics.
It is observed that the grey relational grades for the predicted and experimental
machining parameters are 0.6136 and 0.7712 respectively. The improvement in grey
relational grade between initial and predicted optimal machining parameter is 0.1358 and
between initial an experimental optimal machining parameter is 0.2934. According to
Table 9, the improvement in the performance was noticed when the optimum cutting
conditions were used.
Table 9 Results of the confirmation experiment

Optimal machining parameters

Initial machining parameters
Predicted Experimental
Level N1, f2, a3 N2, f1, a1 N2, f1, a1
Grey relational grade 0.4778 0.6136 0.7712
Improvement in grey relational grade --- 0.1358 0.2934
30 S. Thirumalai Kumaran Kumaran et al.

5 Conclusions

In this study, machining of AA (6351)-SiC-B4C hybrid MMCs were performed to find

the optimal cutting conditions with PCD tool and the following observations are made:
• The composite was successfully prepared through the stir casting route and the even
distribution of the reinforcement particles on the matrix was confirmed by the optical
microscopic image and the element mapping through EDS.
• The multi-objective performance characteristic (minimise the surface roughness,
power consumption and to maximise the material removal rate) was successfully
converted to single objective through grey relational analysis.
• The optimal machining parameters are N2, f1, a1 (cutting speed = 2250 rpm,
feed = 0.1 mm/rev and depth of cut = 0.5 mm), which was found by the grey
relational grade.
• The cutting speed is the most significant machining parameter for affecting
the multiple performance characteristics (Q = 51.37%), followed by the feed
(Q = 36.65%) and depth of cut (Q = 11.66%).
• The confirmation experiment was also conducted with the level N2, f1, a1 to verify
the optimal machining parameters and found to exhibit better performance.

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