Optimization of Dimensional Accuracy in Plasma Arc Cutting for Mild Steel Plate Using Taguchi Method
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37375/9y4t2953Keywords:
Plasma arc cutting (PAC), Dimensional accuracy, Mild steel, Linear and circular cutting paths, Design of Experiment (DoE), Taguchi method.Abstract
This paper presents an experimental optimisation of dimensional accuracy in the precision CNC Plasma Arc Cutting (PAC) of 6 mm thick mild steel plates. The machining trials were conducted using the Taguchi methodology, employing an (L9) OA design with three process parameters: current, voltage, and cutting speed, each of which was evaluated across three levels. The experimental specimens were designed to incorporate both linear (x-y axis) and circular cutting paths. The results demonstrate that a combination of 70 A current and 115 V voltage achieved the highest dimensional accuracy for both square and circular-shaped parts. The optimal cutting speeds for square and circular-shaped specimens were 1100 mm/min and 1000 mm/min, respectively. Although the current yielded the highest contribution (PCR = 47.50% for linear and 56.74% for circular dimensions), it lacked statistical significance at the 95% confidence level. This statistical insignificance among the investigated factors is attributed to the narrow response variance across the L9 orthogonal array. It was noted that the cutting of circular-shaped samples is considerably more sensitive to thermal variations than square-shaped parts.
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