Title: Effect of shallow cryogenic treated brass wire electrode on workpiece surface roughness in wire-EDM

Authors: Jatinder Kapoor; Jaimal Singh Khamba; Sehijpal Singh

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College, Ludhiana-141006, Punjab, India. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College of Engineering, Punjabi University, Patiala-147002, Punjab, India. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College, Ludhiana-141006, Punjab, India

Abstract: In this paper, the effect of shallow cryogenic treated (-110°C) brass wire electrodes on workpiece (EN-31) surface roughness (SR) in wire electrical discharge machining (wire-EDM) is investigated. Five process parameters, namely type of wire, pulse width, time between two pulses, wire tension and servo reference mean voltage have been considered. The outcome of the investigation will identify the significant parameters and their effect on SR with shallow cryogenic treated and untreated wire electrode. The study indicated that all the selected parameters except wire tension and servo reference mean voltage have a significant effect on the means and S/N ratio (of analysis of variance) for SR. Taguchi experimental design has been applied to investigate the optimal parameters for minimisation of SR. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) analysis indicates that the shallow cryogenic treated wire reduces the SR. The results of confirmation experiments for SR showed that the setting of pulse width at low level (0.4 µs), time between two pulses at high level (16 µs) and selecting shallow cryogenic treated wire, produced optimal surface roughness (SR) from EN-31 material surface.

Keywords: cryogenic treatment; wire EDM; electrical discharge machining; WEDM; analysis of variance; ANOVA; surface roughness; surface quality; electro-discharge machining; brass wire electrodes; Taguchi methods; experimental design.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMATEI.2012.049262

International Journal of Materials Engineering Innovation, 2012 Vol.3 No.3/4, pp.190 - 203

Published online: 23 Aug 2014 *

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