Rapid measurement of surface roughness for face-milling aluminum using laser scattering and the Taguchi method

In this paper, an experimental model for the rapid measurement of surface roughness (Rrms) in CNC face-milling specimens using the laser speckle method and digital image processing is established. The specimens used in this study were made of 6061-aluminum alloys through the high-speed face-milling process. In order to evaluate the effect of machining conditions, such as the feed rate, the spindle speed, the depth of cut, and the material of the cutting tool on the roughness of the specimens, the Taguchi method was used to determine the optimal parameters for machining. The laser radiation results in the speckle structure formed in the space when coherent light is scattered through an optically rough surface. The features of the speckles depend on the characteristics of the rough surfaces. Hence, the experimental work for the roughness measurement is based on the speckle effect. The experimental setup in this study consisted of a He-Ne laser, a ground glass, a CCD camera, and a digital image processing system developed using the Virtual Basic language. Computer evaluation of the speckle images revealed the values of Rrms rapidly. This study proposed a precise and non-contact optical method for evaluating the surface roughness from 0.20 to 0.60 μm.