Title: Robust parameter design and multi-objective optimisation of electro-discharge diamond face grinding of HSS

Authors: Gyanendra Kumar Singh; Vinod Yadava; Raghuvir Kumar

Addresses: Mechanical Engineering Department, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad, 211004, India. ' Mechanical Engineering Department, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad, 211004, India. ' Mechanical Engineering Department, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad, 211004, India

Abstract: Electro-discharge diamond grinding (EDDG), a hybrid machining process comprising diamond grinding and electro-discharge grinding, has been developed for machining of electrically conductive difficult-to-machine very hard materials. The process employs simultaneous synergetic interactive effect of abrasion action and electro-discharge action. In this paper, a hybrid methodology comprising of Taguchi methodology (TM) and response surface methodology (RSM) has been applied for the multi-objective optimisation of EDDFG process. The approach first uses the Taguchi quality loss function to find the optimum level of input machining parameters such as wheel speed, current, pulse on-time and duty factor. The optimum input parameter values are further used as the central values in the RSM to develop and optimise the second-order response model. The three quality characteristics are material removal rate (MRR), wheel wear rate (WWR) and average surface roughness (ASR), which are of different nature, have been selected for optimisation. The developed response surface model for MRR, WWR and ASR has been found adequate. The results of quality characteristics with hybrid approach have been compared with the results of a single approach.

Keywords: hybrid machining; diamond grinding; electro-discharge machining; electrical discharge machining; robust design; Taguchi methods; response surface methodology; RSM; analysis of variance; ANOVA; material removal rate; MRR; wheel wear rate; WWR; average surface roughness; ASR; parameter design; multi-objective optimisation; very hard materials.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMMM.2012.044919

International Journal of Machining and Machinability of Materials, 2012 Vol.11 No.1, pp.1 - 19

Received: 01 Jul 2010
Accepted: 10 Aug 2010
Published online: 23 Aug 2014 *

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