Assessment of the Possibility of Using Fractal Analysis to Describe the Surface Aluminum Composites After Turning

The description of the characteristics of the surface using standardized roughness parameters can not fully predict its performance properties. One of the tools supporting the assessment of the surface layer of the treated surface may be fractal analysis. This applies both to surfaces with machining traces, which are created under conditions of high randomness and variability of process conditions, and to surfaces with directional traces and their distinct periodicity. The paper presents the results of surface roughness measurements of turned aluminium matrix composites reinforced with ceramic fibers. Carbide and diamond tools were used for turning the tested material. The trials were carried out under dry machining conditions and with minimal lubrication in the cutting zone. Surfaces were measured by the contact method, and surface roughness parameters were calculated by Gaussian filtration. Then, the values of the fractal dimension were calculated using the enclosing box method. On the basis of these calculations, the influence of machining conditions on the values of selected roughness parameters and the box fractal dimension was determined. It was found that the fractal dimension, i.e. the irregularity of the geometric structure of the surface after turning of composites, changes with the change of cutting parameters, the tool and the method of lubricating the cutting zone. Of these factors, the feed has the greatest influence. As it grows, the irregularity of the machined surface structure decreases. In addition, the correlation coefficients between the fractal dimension and the measured roughness parameters were determined. It was noticed that the fractal dimension, in the case of turning aluminum composites, best correlates with the roughness parameters Sa and Ssk and thus describes features similar to these parameters. Therefore, it was assumed that it is possible to use fractal analysis as a supplementary tool for the description of the surface condition of aluminum composites after turning in various machining conditions. On the other hand, the fractal dimension can be treated as an additional tool to describe the surface condition, especially its irregularity, which is not described by other standard roughness parameters