Project Details

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Machining and Metallurgical Analysis of 17-4 PH Stainless Steel

Company: Quaker Houghton

Major(s):
Primary: IE
Secondary: MATSE
Optional: ME

Non-Disclosure Agreement: YES

Intellectual Property: YES

17-4 PH SS is a material that is continuing to gain use in automotive, aerospace, and medical industries. While this material shows great properties, such as high strength and corrosion resistance, it can be a difficult material to machine. Difficulty in machining can result in poor surface finish which is necessary for many manufactured parts. This proposed project aims to study the effects of end milling conditions and metalworking fluid performance on tool wear and sub-surface quality of machined 17-4 PH SS. Two chemically different fluids will be provided for use in the machining operation. The two different machining conditions should represent those giving two significantly different metal removal rates. MRR can affect the efficiency and accuracy of machining operations and plays an important role in surface finish. Deliverables: 1. End milling of 17-4 PH SS blocks at high metal removal (MRR) rate with fluid 1 and fluid 2. 2. End milling of 17-4 PH SS blocks at low metal removal rate (MRR) with fluid 1 and fluid 2. 3. Measurement of tool wear rates under both conditions 4. Metallurgical prep and SEM/EDX analysis of machined surfaces to determine subsurface quality of the machined part.