Optimization of process parameters in plasma arc cutting for TWIP steel plates

Abstract

The purpose of this research paper is to understand, analyze and optimize the process parameters involved in the water-acetone plasma arc cutting for Twinning Induced plasticity (TWIP) steel plates. TWIP steel plates emphasized now a days more vividly because of their characteristic applications in the aerospace and submarine fields. Cutting is one of the basic machining operation that is usually performed for many applications. In the industries for production purposes the accuracy plays a vital role, in order to archive the accurate products the machining process parameters optimization is to be performed. In the present research the water-acetone plasma arc cutting the cutting of TWIP steel plates is done to understand the parameters involved in it and further to optimize those process parameters. The work is initialized with the design of experiments (DOE), after formulating the DOE with necessary an sufficient conditions the formulation of Taguchi's L9 orthogonal array is formed based on the listed factors and their operable conditions. Then the analysis of variance (ANOVA) is made for the assessment of key parameters. At the end the response surface methodology (RSM) is adopted for the optimization of process parameters. The input process parameters considered are voltage in volts with values of 240V, 270V and 290V, current in Amperes with values of 65A, 70A and 75A, Speed of cut in mm/sec with values of 0.5mm/s, 1mm/s and 1.5mm/s. Using the RSM the optimal conditions obtained as voltage of 240V, current of 65 amps and speed of cut as 1.5mm/s. By adopting these input process parameters values the output values obtained as material removal rate of 5.79mm3/s, surface roughness as 65µm and time of cut as 246s.