Machine tools

MEE 342
 Economics

of

Metal Cutting Operations

Learning objectives

• Explain economics of metal cutting

• Determine the conditions for maximum

production rate and minimum production cost
2.6 Economics of Metal Cutting
1. Introduction

Production cost and production rate play a vital

role in manufacturing process.

In general practice;
o High production rate means low production cost

o Low production rate means high production cost

2.6 Cont…

If the conditions are selected so as to maximize

the production rate and minimize the production
cost, the profit can easily be maximized

It is however not possible to find a common set

of manufacturing conditions to satisfy this.
2.6 Cont…

A common practice is to treat each case

separately and find the corresponding conditions,
then to make a compromise in between
2.6 Cont…
1.2 Machining Operations and Optimization

Production of a component involves several

machining operations using a variety of machine
tools such as;
o Material set up time
o Removing the material from the fixture time
o Actual machining time
o Tool change time etc.
2.6 Cont…

In our discussion, one operation at a time to be

performed on single machine will be considered
and the conditions leading to minimum
production cost and maximum production rate
(minimum production time) will be evaluated.
2.6 Cont…
1) Optimizing The Cutting Speed

There are two objectives in this optimization

 Maximizing production rate

 Minimizing unit cost

Both objectives seek a balanced material

removal rate “MRR” and tool life
2.6 Cont…
1. Maximizing Production Rate

For maximum production rate, the optimum cutting

speed that minimizes machining time per work piece is
needs to be determined

Formulas for calculating the optimal cutting speed are

credited to W. Gilbert with respect to Taylor’s tool life
formula
2.6 Cont…
2.6 Cont…

Therefore total time per unit product for the operation

cycle
Tt
Tc  Th  Tm 
np
Where Tc = production cycle time, np = integer number of
parts we can produce within the tool life

Our objective is to minimize Tc, which is the function of

the cutting speed.
2.6 Cont…

As cutting speed is increased, Tm decreases and Tt/np

increases; Th is unaffected by speed.
2.6 Cont…

In Turning operation, machining time is given by;

 DL
Tm 
fV
Where D = work part diameter, mm (in); L = workpart length, mm (in); f = feed,
mm/rev (in/rev); and v = cutting speed, mm/min (in/min).

 Applying Taylor’s tool life formula,

1
C n
VcT  C 
n T  
 Vc 
2.6 Cont…

Since the number of pieces per tool np is a function of

speed and can be expressed as;
T
np 
Tm

where T = tool life, min/tool; and Tm = machining time per part,

min/pc.

Both T and Tm are functions of speed; hence, the ratio

is also a function of speed;
1
n
fC
np  1
 DLV n 1
2.6 Cont…

Therefore Tc becomes;
 1

Tt   DLv n 1

 DL
Tc  Th    1

fv
fC n
Taking the derivative of the cycle time per piece Tc gives
us the minimum cutting speed
dTc
0
dv
Cutting speed for maximum production rate in the
operation; C
vmax  n (mm/min)
 1  
 n  1 Tt 
  
2.6 Cont…

The corresponding tool life for maximum production rate is

1 
Tmax    1 Tt
n 
2.6 Cont…
2. Minimizing Cost per Unit

For minimum cost per unit, the speed that minimizes

production cost per piece for the operation is determined
The following four cost components determine total cost
of producing one part during a turning operation:
1) Cost of part handling time = CoTh
cost of the time the operator spends loading and unloading the part. Let Co = the cost rate
(e.g., $/min) for the operator and machine. Thus the cost of part handling time= CoTh.
2) Cost of machining time = CoTm
cost of the time the tool is engaged in machining. It represent the cost per minute of the
operator and machine tool.
3) Cost of tool change time = CoTt/np
4) Tooling cost = Ct/np
It is the cost per cutting edge Ct, divided by the number of pieces machined with that cutting
edge np
2.6 Cont…

For disposable inserts (e.g., cemented carbide inserts),

tool cost is determined as;
Pt
Ct 
ne
where Ct = cost per cutting edge, $/tool life; Pt = price of the
insert, $/insert; and ne = number of cutting edges per insert.
2.6 Cont…

For re-grindable tooling (e.g., high-speed steel solid

shank tools, brazed carbide tools), the tool cost includes
purchase price plus cost to regrind:
Pt
Ct   Tg Cg
ne
Where:
Ct = cost per tool life, $/tool life;
Pt = purchase price of the solid shank tool or brazed insert,
$/tool;
ne = number of tool lives per tool, which is the number of times
the tool can be ground before it can no longer be used (5 to 10
times for roughing tools and 10 to 20 times for finishing tools);
Tg = time to grind or re-grind the tool, min/tool life; and
Cg = grinder’s rate, $/min.
2.6 Cont…

The sum of the four cost components gives the total cost
per unit product Cc for the machining cycle:
CoTt Ct
Cc  CoTh  CoTm  
np np
Re-writing in terms of v yield;

Co DL  CoTt  Ct   DLV 1/ n1 

Cc  CoTh  
fv fC1/ n
taking the derivative and equating to zero;
n
 n Co  The corresponding tool life is given by;
vmin C  
   t 
 1   CoTt  Ct 
1 n C T
o t C Tmin    1  
 n  C o 
2.6 Cont…

The relationships for the individual terms and total cost

as a function of cutting speed are shown
2.6 Cont…
Example 2
Suppose a turning operation is to be performed with HSS tooling on mild
steel, with Taylor tool life parameters n = 0.125, C = 70 m/min.Workpart
length = 500 mm and diameter = 100 mm. Feed = 0.25 mm/rev.
Handling time per piece = 5.0 min, and tool change time = 2.0 min. Cost
of machine and operator = $30/hr, and tooling cost = $3 per
cutting edge. Find:
a) cutting speed for maximum production rate, and
b) cutting speed for minimum cost.
2.6 Cont…
Solution

(a) Cutting speed for maximum production rate

0.125
vmax 
C  0.125 1 
n  vmax  70     50m / min
 1    0.875 2 
 n  1 Tt 
  
(b) Minimum cost cutting speed
Converting Co = $30/hr to $0.5/min
n
 n Co 
vmin C  
 1  n C T
o t  Ct 

0.125
 0.125 0.5 
 70    42 m / min
 0.875 0.5  2   3.00 
vmin
 
2.6 Cont…
Problems
1. Suppose a turning operation is to be performed with HSS tooling on mild
steel, with Taylor tool life parameters n = 0.125, C = 70 m/min. Workpart
length = 500 mm and diameter = 100 mm. Feed = 0.25 mm/rev. Handling
time per piece = 5.0 min, and tool change time = 2.0 min. Cost of machine
and operator = $30/hr, and tooling cost = $3 per cutting edge. Find:
a) cutting speed for maximum production rate, and
b) cutting speed for minimum cost.
c) Determine the hourly production rate and cost per piece for the two
cutting speeds computed above
2. A high-speed steel tool is used to turn a steel workpart that is 300 mm long and
80 mm in diameter. The parameters in the Taylor equation are: n = 0.13 and C
= 75 (m/min) for a feed of 0.4 mm/rev. The operator and machine tool rate =
$30/hr, and the tooling cost per cutting edge = $4. It takes 2.0 min to load and
unload the workpart and 3.50 min to change tools. Determine;
a) cutting speed for maximum production rate,
b) tool life in min of cutting, and
c) cycle time and cost per unit of product
2.6 Cont…
Quiz- Already Done

Turning tests have resulted in 2 min tool life at a cutting

speed = 4.0 m/s and a 20 min tool life at a speed = 2.0
m/s.
a) Find the n and C values in the Taylor tool life
equation
b) Project how long the tool would last at a speed of
1.0 m/s
Acknowledgements

1. Kesavan. R. Machine Tools, Laxmi Publications,

2010

2. Sharma. P.C. Textbook of Machine Tools and Tool

Design, Chand & Co 2005, ISBN 13: 9788121923620)

3. Machine Tools – C Elanchezhian and M. Vijayan,

Anuradha Publications
THE
END