Analysis and Multi-Objective Optimization of Wire Cut Process Parameters for Efficient Cutting of Tapered Carbon Steels Using Wire EDM

Abstract

Carbon steel AISI 2010 is a general-purpose tool steel. It is an immense need of the industry to determine the optimal process parameters for the cutting of thick slabs of metal, using the wire cut for maximum material removal rate and minimum surface roughness and wire wear. This research is designed to explore the influence of process parameters during the wire EDM of tapered steel blanks. Tapered steel blanks with angles of 30°, 45°, and 60° are machined and slots are generated in blanks using the wire EDM process. Taper angle, current, and pulse-off time are considered as the controllable process parameters for this study, whereas other controllable parameters are kept constant. Effect of these controllable parameters over kerf width, surface finish, MRR, and wire are examined using the analysis of variance technique. Regression models for the four response variables are also developed, relating the variables with the varying controllable parameters. Multi-variable optimization of controllable parameters is performed using the Genetic Algorithm for favourable response variables.