Material Removal Rate, Electrode Wear Rate, and Surface Roughness Evaluation in Die Sinking EDM with Hollow Tool through Response Surface Methodology

Abstract

Electrical discharge machining is one of the earliest nontraditional machining, extensively used in industry for processing of parts having unusual profiles with reasonable precision. In the present work, an attempt has been made to model material removal rate, electrode wear rate, and surface roughness through response surface methodology in a die sinking EDM process. The optimization was performed in two steps using one factor at a time for preliminary evaluation and a Box-Behnken design involving three variables with three levels for determination of the critical experimental conditions. Pulse on time, pulse off time, and peak current were changed during the tests, while a copper electrode having tubular cross section was employed to machine through holes on EN 353 steel alloy workpiece. The results of analysis of variance indicated that the proposed mathematical models obtained can adequately describe the performances within the limits of factors being studied. The experimental and predicted values were in a good agreement. Surface topography is revealed with the help of scanning electron microscope micrographs.