Parametric study along with selection of optimal solutions in Wire cut
machining of Titanium (Gr2)
N.E.ARUN KUMAR
1, a *
, A.SURESH BABU
2, b
and V.MUTHUKUMAR
3,C
1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, St. Joseph’s College of Engineering, Chennai,
Tamil Nadu, India
1,2
Department of Manufacturing Engineering, College of Engineering Guindy, Anna University,
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
3
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Saveetha Engineering College, Chennai,
Tamil Nadu, India
a
nearunkumar@gmail.com,
b
subaceg@annauniv.edu,
c
vmkumar13@gmail.com
Keywords: WEDM, Material removal rate, surface finish, Taguchi method.
Abstract. This paper investigates the relationship of process parameters in wire electrical discharge
machining of titanium alloy with brass wire as tool electrode. Wire electrical discharge machining
(WEDM) is used to cut conductive metals of any hardness or that difficult to cut with conventional
methods. The process performances such as material removal rate (MRR) and surface finish(R
a
)
were evaluated by giving specific input parameters which practiced to obtain optimal response. The
difficulty in machine tool industry is to predict the expected output performance for the desired
input variables by the way of conducting more number of experiments for different machining
parameters, which leads to the increase in consumption of electric power, material and time. To
overcome this phenomenon, parametric investigation was made on WED machining on titanium
alloy by using Taguchi’s method.
Introduction
Wire electrical discharge machining is the most helpful non-traditional material removal process.
This technique has been widely used in a modern metal working industries for producing complex
profile in dies and moulds in tool and die making and also other fields like aerospace, automotive,
surgical component manufacturing etc. However, there are problematic points that should be fully
considered in order to enhance working accuracy [1]. In WEDM operations, material removal rate
determine the economics of machining and rate of production. In setting the machining parameter,
the main goal is the maximization of MRR and SF. The process variables especially electrical
variables are more significant parameters in deciding response values [3]. To attain the precise and
accurate machining, it is necessary to predict response values of machining to decide the input
parameters to be provide.
Optimum selection of process parameters is very much essential, as this is a costly process to
increase production rate considerably by reducing machining time [2]. Material removal rate
(MRR) and surface roughness are most important output parameters, which decide the performance
of machining. In nature material removal rate increased with decreasing of surface roughness and
vice versa. In WEDM by a single pass of wire we can fully remove the material from the work
piece irrespective to rough cut and finished cut like conventional machining process.
Hence it brings interest to optimize the process input parameters at best in combination. Each
parameter may have individual capacity to determine the output parameters.
Advanced Materials Research Vols. 984-985 (2014) pp 37-41
© (2014) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland
doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.984-985.37
All rights reserved. No part of contents of this paper may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of TTP,
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