Int. J. Manufacturing Technology and Management, Vol. 18, No. 3, 2009 319 Copyright © 2009 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. Simultaneous optimisation of conflicting responses for CNC turned parts using desirability function Aman Aggarwal* Mechanical and Automation Engineering Department, Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology, Sector-22, Rohini, Delhi 110085, India E-mail: aman_aggarwal28@yahoo.co.uk *Corresponding author Hari Singh Mechanical Engineering Department, National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra 136119, India E-mail: hsingh_nitk@rediffmail.com Pradeep Kumar Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247267, India E-mail: kumarfme@iitr.ernet.in Manmohan Singh Solid State Physics Lab, DRDO, Delhi, India E-mail: MANMOHAN_SINGH/SSPL@ssplnet.org Abstract: This paper optimises multiple characteristics (tool life, cutting force, surface roughness and power consumption) in CNC turning of AISI P-20 tool steel using desirability function. Four controllable factors of the turning process viz. cutting speed, feed, depth of cut and nose radius, were studied. Face centred central composite design was used for experimentation. Response surface methodology was used for modelling the responses. Desirability function was used for single response and multiple response optimisation. The functions are plotted giving equal weightage to all the four responses. Keywords: CNC turning; face centred central composite design; AISI P-20 tool steel; multi response optimisation desirability function. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Aggarwal, A., Singh, H., Kumar, P. and Singh, M. (2009) ‘Simultaneous optimisation of conflicting responses for CNC turned parts using desirability function’, Int. J. Manufacturing Technology and Management, Vol. 18, No. 3, pp.319–332.