Title: Investigations into electrical discharge machining of fabricated AA 6061/10% Al₂O₃ aluminium-based metal matrix composite using OFAT approach

Authors: Bhaskar Chandra Kandpal; Jatinder Kumar; Hari Singh

Addresses: Mechanical Engineering Department, IPEC, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, India

Abstract: Electrical discharge machining (EDM) process is one of the most commonly used non-traditional machining processes for difficult to cut materials like composites and in die making industries. The work piece material was AA 6061/10% Al₂O₃-based metal matrix composite which was fabricated with newly developed stir casting setup. After fabrication scanning electron microscopy, mechanical testing was carried out to test properties of composite material. In EDM process, the selected EDM input parameters were pulsed current (I), pulse on time (T_ON). One parameter at a time was studied to observe the responses with the variation in the selected input parameters. The metal removal rate (MRR) and gap size were observed as output responses in this experimental work. Experimental investigations showed that for higher MRR, there was high pulse current, high pulse on time. Similar effects were also observed for the gap size.

Keywords: AA 6061/Al₂O₃; aluminium-based metal matrix composite; AMMC; discharge current; EDM; electrical discharge machining; gap size; metal removal rate; MRR; pulse on-time; scanning electron microscopy; SEM; stir casting.

DOI: 10.1504/IJAUTOC.2017.086514

International Journal of Automotive Composites, 2017 Vol.3 No.1, pp.29 - 43

Received: 01 Jul 2016
Accepted: 31 Oct 2016
Published online: 11 Sep 2017 *