Influence of Microalloyed SAE 1141 Steel on the Machinability of Drive Shaft Yokes 890513

Microalloyed, resulfurized steel bars were air cooled after forging to compare their machining performance to conventional resulfurized steel forgings. The six-station machining operation is the rate-limiting stage in manufacturing the forgings into drive shaft yokes. Since drilling has the greatest effect on the throughput, drilling thrust force, drilling torque and drilling tool wear was quantified for each type of drive shaft yoke.

Lower thrust forces were obtained while drilling the air cooled, microalloyed forgings. Wear on the drill inserts was so rapid that a steady torque force could not be measured when drilling the heat treated yokes.