Estimate of cutting forces and surface roughness in end milling of glass fiber reinforced plastic composites using fuzzy logic system

Abstract Milling glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) composite materials are problematic, owing to, e.g., nonhomogeneous and anisotropic properties and effects of plastic deformation. To reduce these problems, the effects of cutting speed, feed rate, and the number of flutes on surface roughness and of thrust forces occurring during the milling of GFRP composite materials were investigated by both experimental and fuzzy logic models. Experiments were performed at 30 m/min, 60 m/min, and 90 m/min cutting speeds, at 0.1 mm/rev, 0.15 mm/rev, and 0.2 mm/rev feed rates and 10 mm diameters in a cemented carbide end mill, which has two, three, and four flutes without cutting fluids. The values obtained from experiments were defined by a fuzzy logic model. A fuzzy logic model was employed to estimate the surface roughness and thrust forces for different cutting parameters. As a result of both the experimental study and the fuzzy logic model, while the minimum thrust force was obtained at low cutting speeds, and feed rates and a high number of flutes end mill, the best surface quality was obtained at low feed rates, high cutting speed, and number of flutes end mill.