Machining hardened steels has become a routine industrial process, and ceramic tools are commonly used for this [1]. Turning operations performed by using ceramic tools not only reduce costs but also improve product quality; thus, these are a viable alternative to grinding in finishing processes [2], [3]. Studying surface integrity can help in understanding the changes occurring on the surface and subsurface of a part during manufacturing, as the performance and final quality of a product are directly linked to its surface integrity [4]. The key characteristics of surface integrity in machined parts include residual stress, hardening, microstructural changes, and surface roughness, all of which result from plastic deformation [5].
Residual stress has a significant impact on the lifespan of mechanical components used in engineering applications [6]. Tensile stress can promote crack propagation, whereas compressive stress can inhibit it. This relationship is crucial to the fatigue life of components subjected to cyclic loads that require high fatigue strength. The risk to the component’s lifespan increases when tensile residual stress combine with operational stress [7], [8], [9]. In machining processes, cutting parameters such as the speed, feed rate, and depth of cut influence the residual stress induced in the components [10].
The most common methods for measuring residual stress are X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the blind-hole technique. XRD enables the measurement of both micro and macro stresses but can be limited by the sample size; it is ideal for small samples. By contrast, the blind-hole technique is quick, easy to perform, and applicable to a wide range of materials; however, it has higher measurement uncertainty, is semi-destructive, and is restricted to simple geometries. For most materials, XRD remains the most accurate method [11].
Acoustic emission (AE) signals are defined as transient elastic energy released in the form of mechanical stress waves within materials. The detection and analysis of these stress waves can be monitored through AE signals [12]. AE signal analysis is a non-destructive testing technique with numerous industrial applications, such as in structural analysis [13], corrosion detection [14], pressure vessel testing [15], and machining [16]. Several methods are available for analyzing and processing captured AE signals [17]; however, regardless of the approach, detection systems must exhibit sensitivity that is appropriate for the phenomena being monitored. In machining, AE sensors are well-suited for monitoring cutting parameters, even at low material removal rates, and are sensitive to subsurface damage [18].
The use of AE monitoring in machining processes has been widely studied in recent years; the primary focus has been cutting parameters and tool life analysis. However, studies in which the correlation between AE signals and the surface integrity of machined parts—such as surface finish and residual stress—is investigated are still scarce.
Traditional techniques for signal processing, such as hit counting and fast Fourier transform, are prone to errors during machining because AE signals often change over very short periods of time [19]. The study of AE signals by utilizing spectral entropy is particularly promising because spectral entropy, which originates from the uncertainty in amplitude distribution, is independent of thresholds and other time-based parameters; thus, spectral entropy is a useful tool for characterizing microstructural deformations [20]. Spectral entropy, also known as Shannon entropy, can be mathematically expressed in Eq. 1 [21].
$$\:SE=\:-\sum\:_{i=1}^{N}{p}_{i}{\text{log}}_{2}\left({p}_{i}\right),$$
1
where \(\:{p}_{i}\) is determined by applying Equations 2 and 3:
$$\:{p}_{i}=\:\frac{X\left(i\right)}{\sum\:_{j=1}^{N}X\left(j\right)};$$
2
$$\:\sum\:_{i=1}^{N}{p}_{i}=1.$$
3
The events during an experiment determine the number of frequency components, and as the signal is analyzed, the probabilities are updated; \(\:{p}_{i}\) represents the percentage of each frequency \(\:i\) in the spectrum and denoted as\(\:\:{p}_{i}=\:\left\{p1,p2,p3,\dots\:,pN\right\},\:\)where these probabilities depend solely on the frequency distribution, X. Once the frequency distribution is obtained, spectral entropy is calculated by using Eq. 1 at each moment in time corresponding to the performed test [17], [22]. Spectral entropy values range between 0 and 1, with higher values indicating greater randomness. The closer the value is to 0, the less random the condition is [23]. Therefore, entropy is maximized for equiprobable events, whereas entropy equals zero for single events and is entirely dependent on the probability distribution of the event.
Chai et al. [20] captured AE signals during a fatigue-crack-growth test in CrMoV steel and found that spectral entropy was more sensitive to small differences in AE signals than to signal amplitude. They observed that sudden changes in spectral entropy usually indicate critical damage, such as the initiation and growth of cracks. Thus, spectral entropy is valuable for monitoring mechanical systems. Karimian et al. [24] used spectral entropy to identify the nucleation and coalescence of microcracks in aeronautical structures. They found that minimal spectral entropy can be combined with increasing cumulative spectral entropy to reliably identify fatigue cracks.
Different frequency ranges in AE signals correspond to specific phenomena, and the use of filters improves the understanding on these phenomena. Maia et al. [19] noted that the frequency range sensitive to the machining process is 90–110 kHz, whereas Marinescu and Axinte [26] suggested that this range could be extended slightly to 70–115 kHz. However, the frequency range displaying the strongest correlation between spectral entropy and residual stress is not necessarily restricted to the typical machining phenomena, and the signal may show greater sensitivity in bands outside these common frequencies. The aim of this study is to explore the correlation between AE signals and residual stress by identifying the frequency region in the spectrum that is most sensitive and correlates with residual stress values.
The correlation between two conditions can be analyzed by using Pearson's correlation coefficient (r), a statistical metric that measures the strength of the linear relationship between two variables. This coefficient is widely applied in various fields [27], such as data analysis [28], financial analysis [29], and biological research [30]. Pearson’s correlation coefficient is dimensionless, indicating that it does not have units or a reference proportion. The coefficient ranges from − 1 to 1, with values closer to 1 or − 1 indicating a stronger correlation. Values near 0 suggest no correlation, positive values indicate a direct relationship, and negative values imply an inverse relationship [31]. "r" values between 0.1 and 0.3 represent a weak correlation, between 0.4 and 0.6 are considered moderate, and above 0.6 indicate a strong correlation [32], [33].
The aim of this study is to deepen the understanding on surface integrity control in the machining of AISI 4340 steel by analyzing AE signals emitted during the process. AE signals were captured when turning AISI 4340 steel with ceramic tools. An artificial intelligence (AI) tool was employed to identify the spectral region most sensitive to residual stress, and the signals were filtered in the frequency band having the highest correlation, as determined by the AI tool. The filtered signals were analyzed by using the spectral entropy technique, which revealed a strong correlation between residual stress and AE signals across varied cutting speeds, feed rates, and cutting depths. This correlation highlights the potential for improving machining process control, optimizing cutting techniques, and refining machining parameters.