Investigating effects of process variables on MRR in EDM by using Taguchi parameter design approach

Amit Joshi1 & Pradeep Kothiyal2

Mechanical Engg. Deptt., G.B.Pant Engineering College, Pauri Garhwal, India E-mail : [email protected] & [email protected]
Abstract - The correct selection of manufacturing conditions is one of the most important aspects to take into consideration in the majority of manufacturing processes and, particularly, in processes related to Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM). It is a capable of machining geometrically complex or hard material components, that are precise and difficult-to-machine such as heat treated tool steels, composites, super alloys, ceramics, carbides, heat resistant steels etc. being widely used in die and mold making industries, aerospace, aeronautics and nuclear industries. OHNS-EN31 is a high car bon alloy steel which achieves high degree of hardness with compressive strength and abrasive resistance. OHNS-EN-31 steel, which is popularly used in automotive type applications, like axle, bearings, spindle and molding dies etc. In this paper we have tried to investigate effect of machining parameter such as discharge current, pulse on time, and pulse of time on MRR in EDM while machining OHNS-EN-31 STEEL using Cu tool . A well-designed experimental scheme was used to reduce the total number of experiments. Parts of the experiment were conducted with the L18 orthogonal array based on the Taguchi method. The results of analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicate that the proposed mathematical model can be adequately describe the performance within the limit of factors being studied. The optimal set of process parameters has also been predicted to maximize the MRR. Keywordsmaterial removal rate, ANOVA, L-18 orthogonal array. Taguchi method,

INTRODUCTION
The history of EDM Machining Techniques goes as far back as the 1770s when it was discovered by an English Scientist. However, Electrical Discharge Machining was not fully taken advantage of until 1943 when Russian scientists learned how the erosive effects of the technique could be controlled and used for machining purposes. When it was originally observed by Joseph Priestly in1770, EDM Machining was very imprecise and riddled with failures. Commercially developed in the mid-

1970s, wire EDM began to be a viable technique that helped shape the metal working industry we see today. In the mid-1980s.The EDM techniques were transferred to a machine tool. This migration made EDM more widely available and appealing over traditional machining processes. The new concept of manufacturing uses non-conventional energy sources like sound, light, mechanical, chemical, electrical, electrons and ions. With the industrial and technological growth, development of harder and difficult to machine materials, which find wide application in aerospace, nuclear engineering and other industries owing to their high strength to weight ratio, hardness and heat resistance qualities has been witnessed. New developments in the field of material science have led to new engineering metallic materials, composite materials and high tech ceramics having good mechanical properties and thermal characteristics as well as sufficient electrical conductivity so that they can readily be machined by spark erosion. Non-traditional machining has grown out of the need to machine these exotic materials. The machining processes are non- traditional in the sense that they do not employ traditional tools for metal removal and instead they directly use other forms of energy. The problems of high complexity in shape, size and higher demand for product accuracy and surface finish can be solved through non-traditional methods. Currently, non-traditional processes possess virtually unlimited capabilities except for volumetric material removal rates, for which great advances have been made in the past few years to increase the material removal rates. As removal rate increases, the cost effectiveness of operations also increase, stimulating ever greater uses of nontraditional process. The Electrical Discharge Machining process is employed widely for making tools, dies and other precision parts. EDM has been replacing drilling, milling, grinding and other traditional machining operations and is now a well-established machining option in many
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manufacturing industries throughout the world. And is capable of machining geometrically complex or hard material components, that are precise and difficultto-machine such as heat treated tool steels, composites, super alloys, ceramics, carbides, heat resistant steels etc. being widely used in die and mold making industries, aerospace, aeronautics and nuclear industries. Electric Discharge Machining has also made its presence felt in the new fields such as sports, medical and surgical, instruments, optical, including automotive R&D areas. Electro Discharge Machining (EDM) is an electro-thermal non-traditional machining Process, where electrical energy is used to generate electrical spark and material removal mainly occurs due to thermal energy of the spark. EDM can be used to machine difficult geometries in small batches or even on job-shop basis. Work material to be machined by EDM has to be electrically conductive.

PRINCIPLE OF EDM
In this process the metal is removing from the work piece due to erosion caused by rapidly recurring spark discharge taking place between the tool and work piece. Fig 1shows the mechanical set up and electrical circuit for electro discharge machining. A thin gap about 0.025 mm is maintained between the tool and work piece by a servo system. Both tool and work piece are submerged in a dielectric fluid. Kerosene/EDM oil/deionized water is very common type of liquid dielectric although gaseous dielectrics are also used in certain cases.

becomes conductive. It is just at this point when the spark jumps causing collisions between ions and electrons and creating a channel of plasma. A sudden drop of the electric resistance of the previous channel allows that current density reaches very high values producing an increase of ionization and the creation of a powerful magnetic field. The moment spark occurs sufficiently pressure developed between work and tool as a result of which a very high temperature is reached and at such high pressure and temperature that some metal is melted and erode Such localized extreme rise in temperature leads to material removal. Material removal occurs due to instant vaporization of the material as well as due to melting. The molten metal is not removed completely but only partially. As the potential difference is withdrawn as shown in Fig. 2, the plasma channel is no longer sustained. As the plasma channel collapse, it generates pressure or shock waves, which evacuates the molten material forming a crater of removed material around the site of the spark.

Fig 2 Working principle of EDM process

EXPERIMENT AND DATA COLLECTION

Experiments are designed by using taguchi L18 orthogonal array. The software used for DOE is Minitab 16. Experiment is divided in to three main phases, and these three phases are planning phase, conducting phase, analysis phase. There are various important parameter of EDM. (a) Spark On-time (pulse time or Ton): The duration of time (s) the current is allowed to flow per cycle. Material removal is directly proportional to the amount of energy applied during this on-time. This energy is really controlled by the peak current and the length of the on- time. (b) Spark Off-time (pause time or Toff ): The duration of time (s) between the sparks (that is to say, off-time). This time allows the molten material to solidify and to be wash out of the arc gap. This parameter is to affect the speed and the stability of the
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Fig 1 set up of Electric discharge machining

The tool is made cathode and work piece is anode. When the voltage across the gap becomes sufficiently high it discharges through the gap in the form of the spark in interval of about 10 micro seconds. And positive ions and electrons are accelerated, producing a discharge channel that

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cut. Thus, if the off-time is too short, it will cause sparks to be unstable. (c) Arc gap (or gap): The Arc gap is distance between the electrode and work piece during the process of EDM. It may be called as spark gap. Spark gap can be maintained by servo feed system. (d) Discharge current (current Ip): Discharge current is directly proportional to the Material removal rate. (e) Duty cycle (t): It is a percentage of the on-time relative to the total cycle time. This parameter is calculated by dividing the on-time by the total cycle time (on-time pulse off- time). (f) Voltage (V): It is a potential that can be measure by volt it is also effect to the material removal rate and allowed to per cycle. Voltage is given by in this experiment is 50V. (g) Diameter of electrode (D): It is the electrode of Cu-tube there are two different size of diameter 4mm and 6mm in this paper. This tool is used not only as an electrode but also for internal flushing. Planning phase In this phase following things are to be planned for the experiment. I. II. III. Selection of process variables and there levels for EDM. Design of experiment(DOE) Selection of work piece material

B. Design of Experiment For selected input parameters experiments are designed using taguchi L18 orthogonal standard array. For this purpose minitab 16 software is used. TABLE 3 (DOE) RUN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 IP 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 Ton 65 65 65 75 75 75 85 85 85 65 65 65 75 75 75 85 85 85 Toff 4 5 6 4 5 6 4 5 6 4 5 6 4 5 6 4 5 6

A. Selection of process variables and there levels

Table 1 SELECTION OF PROCESS VARIABLES CONTROLL FACTOR Discharge current Pulse on time Pulse off time SYMBOLE IP Ton Toff FACTOR c. A B C

The set of 18 experiments are shown in table3. Selection of workpiece material The material used for the experiments is grade OHNS EN-31 steel, which is popularly used in automotive type applications, like axle, bearings, spindle and molding dies etc.
COMPOSITION C Si Mg Cr Co S P Wt % 0.95-1.2 0.10-0.35 0.30-0.75 1.0-1.6 0.025 0.04 0.04 APPLICATION automotive type applications, like axle, bearings, spindle and molding dies etc.

TABLE 2 RANGE OF PROCESS VARIABLE CONTROL FACTORS A B B LEVEL1 4 65 4 LEVEL2 6 75 5 LEVEL3 85 6 UNITS A s s

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Conducting phase After DOE 18 experiments are carried out in electrode discharge machining. After each experiment MRR is calculated. A quality characteristic for MRR is larger is better.
R U N 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 TABLE 4 IP Ton Toff Wt OF WORKPIECE Wjb Wja S-N ratio MRR

4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

65 65 65 75 75 75 85 85 85 65 65 65 75 75 75 85 85 85

4 5 6 4 5 6 4 5 6 4 5 6 4 5 6 4 5 6

57.0988 60.6373 55.5164 58.7777 54.8619 61.2730 59.2375 60.7056 56.9388 56.9196 59.3007 58.5787 54.8702 56.2469 53.6640 59.0581 55.0609 52.8295

56.6002 60.2395 54.9850 58.1492 54.3418 60.8440 58.8210 60.3731 56.4902 56.3647 58.6511 58.0216 54.1658 55.4073 52.9089 58.4399 54.3025 52.2311

0.5265 -1.4356 1.0769 2.5356 0.8931 -0.7791 -1.0366 -0.9122 -0.3917 1.4133 2.8227 1.4897 3.5276 5.0531 4.1316 2.3936 4.1693 2.1108

1.0625 0.8477 1.1320 1.3390 1.1083 0.9142 0.8857 0.9003 0.9559 1.1767 1.3840 1.1871 1.5010 1.7892 1.6091 1.3173 1.6161 1.2751 Fig 3 plot for S-N ratio and Means

B. Response table for signal to noise ratios LARGER IS BETTER TABLE 5 LEVEL 1 2 3 Delta Rank Ip 0.05303 3.01246 2.95943 1 Ton 0.98236 2.56034 1.05555 1.57798 2 OF Toff 1.56003 1.76517 1.27305 0.49212 3 AVERAGE

A. COMPUTATION PERFORMANCE

Average performance of each factor on MRR is calculated by following expression

Analysis phase a. Analysis of variance( ANOVA) Similar expression can be written for calculating the average performance of factor B & C. Notations:A1, A2, = Average performance of factor A at level 1, 2` respectively B1, B2, B3= Average performance of factor B at level 1, 2, 3 respectively C1, C2, C3= Average performance of factor C at level 1, 2, 3 respectively Table for factor A, B, C & their levels with MRR is shown below A1= 1.0163 A2= 1.4284 B1= 1.1316
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The output characteristic, MRR is analysed by software minitab-16 and ANOVA is formed, which shows the percentage contribution of each influencing factor on MRR. Main effect plot for means and main effect plots for S-N ratio are plotted with the help of software minitab 16. Graph for material removal rate

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B2= 1.3768 B3= 1.1587 C1= 1.2140 C2= 1.2742 C3= 1.1789
TABLE 6 S.No 1 2 3 FACTOR A B C L1 1.0163 1.1316 1.2140 L2 1.4284 1.3768 1.2742 L3 1.1587 1.1789 0.4121 0.2452 -0.0953

= (83.6621/9 +165.266/9)-26.8962 = 0.7624 SIMILARLY SE = 0.2144 SC =0.02688 ERROR VARIATION BECOMES SE =ST - (SA +SB +SC ) =1.3273-(0.7624+0.2144+0.0268) STEP 5 DEGREE OF FREEDOM DOF Total= No of test runs 1 fT = n -1 N =no of test runs fT = 18-1=17 f X=( no of levels of factors) 1 fA = 2-1=1 fB =3-1=2 fC =3-1=2 fE =fT -(fA +fB +fC ) =17-(1+2+2) FE =12 STEP 6 MEAN SQAURE VARIANCE The variance of each factor is determined by the sum of squares of each trial sum result involving the factor, divided by the degrees of freedom of the factor. Thus VX =SX /fX VA =SA /fA =0.7624/1 =0.7624 VB =SB /fB =0.2144/2 =0.1072 VC = SC /fC =0.0268/2 =0.0134 VE =SE /fE = 0.3237/12 VE =0.0269

A. CALCULATION CONTRIBUTION T=average result of 18 runs T= 22.003/18 =1.2223 YOPT at A2 B2 C2

OF

PERCENTAGE

YOPT = T+(A2 -T)+(B2 -T)+(C2 -T) =A2 +B2 +C2 -2T =1.4284+1.3768+1.2742-(2X1.2223) = 1.6348 mm3/min C. PERCENTAGE CONTRIBUTION OF EACH FACTOR: STEP 1:- TOTAL OF ALL RESULTS T= TOTAL OF ALL RESULTS T=22.003 STEP 2:- CORRECTION FACTOR C.F = T2 /n = (22.003)2 /18 C.F = 26.8962 STEP 3:- TOTAL SUM OF SQUARES S = 18i=1 y = (28.2235)-26.8962 ST =1.3273 STEP 4:- FACTOR SUM OF SQUARES SA = (A22 /NA1 +A22 /NA2 )-C.F.

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= 12.099 PC= ( SC /ST ) X 100 = (- 0.027/1.3273)X 100 = - 2.0349

TABLE-7

[4].

Mohan, B., Rajadurai, A. and Satyanarayana, K.G., 2002. Effect of sic and rotation of electrode on electric discharge machining of Al-sic composite. Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 124(3), 297-304. Lin, y.-.,Cheng, C.-.,Su, B.-. and Hwang, L.-., 2006. Machining characteristics and optimization of machining parameters of SKH 57 high-speed steel using electrical-discharge machining based on Taguchi method. Materials and Manufacturing Processes, 21(8), 922-929. J. Simao, H.G. Lee, D.K. Aspinwall, R.C. Dewes, and E.M. Aspinwall 2003.Workpiece surface modification using electrical discharge machining,, 43 (2003) 121 128 Singh,P.N., Raghukandan, K., Rathinasabapathi, M. And Pai, B.C., 2004.Electric discharge machining of Al-10%sicp as-cast metal matrix composites. Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 155-156(1-3), 1653-1657. Soveja, A., Cicala, E., Grevey, D. And Jouvard, J.M., 2008. Optimisation of TA6V alloy surface laser texturing using an experimental design approach. Optics and Lasers in Engineering, 46(9), 671-678. Yan, B.H., Wang, C.C., Chow, H.M. and Lin, Y.C., 2000. Feasibility study of rotary electrical discharge machining with ball burnishing for Al2O3/6061Al composite. International Journal of Machine Tools and Manufacture, 40(10), 14031421.

[5].
F S %P

FACTORS

DOF

SS

A B C

1 2 2

0.7624 0.2144 0.0268

0.7624 0.1072 0.0134

28.3420 3.9851 0.4981

0.7355 0.1606 -0.0270

55.41 12.09 -2.03

[6].

IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Following are the conclusions drawn from the work done in this investigation: A. MRR increases with increase of D.C. B. MRR first increases and then after getting a peak value it decreases with increase of Ton.

[7].

[8].

C. MRR increases partially and then decreases with increase of Toff. D. Optimum value as1.6348mm3/min. of MRR is calculated

[9].

E. Optimal setting of control factors discharge current, pulse on time and pulse off time is A2, B2, C2 i.e. second level of discharge current (6 Amp) second level of pulse on time (75 s) second level of pulse of time (5 s). for the specific test range. F. Since the percentage contribution of the factor A( discharge current) is high(55.4132%) in comparison to the other two factor, therefore it is the most dominating factor in machining of OHNS EN-31 STEEL. V. REFERENCES
[1] Dhar, s., Purohit, r., Saini, n., Sharma, a. and Kumar, G.H., 2007. Mathematical modeling of electric discharge machining of cast Al-4Cu-6Si alloy-10 wt.% sicp composites. Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 193(1-3), 24-29. Karthikeyan R, Lakshmi Narayanan, P.R. and Naagarazan, R.S., 1999. Mathematical modeling for electric discharge machining of aluminium-silicon carbide particulate composites. Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 87(1-3), 59-63. El-Taweel, T.A., 2009. Multi-response optimization of EDM with Al-Cu-Si-tic P/M composite electrode. International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 44(1-2),100113.

[10]. Yan-Cherng Lin, Yuan-feng chen, Ching-tien Lin, AND Hsinn-jyh Tzeng Feasibility study of rotary electrical discharge machining with ball burnishing for Al2O3/6061Al composite 2008, vol.23: 391 399,. [11]. Lee, S.H. and Li, X.P., 2001.Study of the effect of machining parameters on the machining characteristics in electrical discharge machining of tungsten carbide. Journal of Materials Processing Technology,115(3),344-358. [12]. Puertas, I. And Luis, C.J., 2004. A study of

optimization of machining parameters for electrical discharge machining of boron carbide. Materials and Manufacturing Processes, 19(6),

[2].

[3].

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