Effects of Cutting Parameters and Grain Direction on Surface Quality of Three Wood Species Obtained by CNC Milling

Abstract

Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines are increasingly popular in the production of furniture and wood products, because they combine high processing quality with short production time. The effective use of CNC machines depends on the processing parameters, which also affects the quality of the processed surface. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of feed rate, cutting direction, and grain direction on the surface roughness of various types of wood. Three European wood species (oak, beech, fir) were cut with a spindle speed of 16,000 rpm and two different feed rates (5,000 and 10,000 mm/min) using end mill tools on the CNC machine. The milling was performed in two cutting directions (radial and tangential) and two grain orientations (0° and 90°). An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to evaluate the impact of the cutting parameters. The surface roughness measurements were taken, and two surface roughness parameters (Ra and Rz) were measured to determine the surface quality of the wood. According to the results of this study, the lowest surface roughness values, milling with the same processing parameters, occurred for oak wood, while the highest values occurred for fir.