www.iaset.us editor@iaset.us “OPTIMIZATION OF PROCESS PARAMETERS IN ELECTRIC DISCHARGE MACHINING PROCESS” M. MUSTAFAIZ AHMAD, R. DAVIS, N. MAURYA, P. SINGH & S. GUPTA Department of Mechanical Engineering, S.S.E.T., S. H. I. A. T. S, Allahabad, India ABSTRACT Electro Discharge Machining (EDM) is an extremely prominent machining process among newly developed non-traditional machining techniques for “difficult to machine” conducting materials such as heat treated tool steels, composites, super alloys, ceramics, hastelloys, nitralloy, nemonic alloys, carbides, heat resistant steels etc. In EDM, the material removal of the electrode is achieved through high frequency sparks between the tool and the work-piece immersed into the dielectric. The Material Removal Rate (MRR) is the important performance attributes of EDM process. The machining parameters that achieve the highest MRR strongly depend on the size of the machining surface i.e. the engaged electrode and work-piece surface. With upcoming worldwide applications of Titanium grade-2, machining has become an important issue which needs to be investigated in detail. A well-designed experimental were conducted with L18 Orthogonal Array (OA) based on the design of experiment (DOE) with input factors like Peak Current (Ip), Pulse Time On (Ton), Duty Cycle (TAU) and Voltage Gap (V) was considered for investigation. The effect of the machining parameters on the responses such as MRR was investigated. In this research work, Regression analysis was used to find out the optimal levels of the parameters. KEYWORDS: Electric Discharge Machining (EDM), Titanium Grade-2, Design of Experiment (DOE), Regression Analysis, Material Removal Rate 1. INTRODUCTION Electric Discharge Machining (EDM) is an electro-thermal non-traditional machining Process, where electrical energy is used to generate electrical spark and material removal mainly occurs due to thermal energy of the spark. EDM is mainly used to machine difficult-to machine materials and high strength temperature resistant alloys. EDM can be used to machine difficult geometries in small batches or even on job-shop Basis. Work material to be machined by EDM has to be electrically conductive. This technique has been developed in the late 1940s where the process is based on removing material from a part by means of a series of repeated electrical discharges between tool called the electrode and the work piece in the presence of a dielectric fluid. The electrode is moved toward the work piece until the gap is small enough so that the impressed voltage is great enough to ionize the dielectric. Short duration discharges are generated in a liquid dielectric gap, which separates tool and work piece. The material is removed with the erosive effect of the electrical discharges from tool and work piece. EDM does not make direct contact between the electrode and the work piece where it can eliminate mechanical stresses chatter and vibration problems during machining. Materials of any hardness can be cut as long as the material can conduct electricity. EDM International Journal of Mechanical Engineering (IJME) ISSN(P): 2319-2240; ISSN(E): 2319-2259 Vol. 5, Issue 4, Jun - Jul 2016; 45-52 © IASET