Investigation of aluminum alloy 6061 in Wire-EDM regarding surface roughness and material removal rate by adopting optimization techniques

Abstract

Wire-electric discharge machining offers a number of benefits in comparison to traditional manufacturing processes likewise, no obvious mechanical cutting traces also hard and rigid materials can be processed perfectly in WEDM. Since, aluminum alloys are used in aerospace, shipbuilding, breathing gas cylinders for scuba diving, surgical components and automotive industry for their high-strength-to-weight ratio, accurate shapes and dimensions. Through this method, complicated structures made of aluminum alloy are produced in a single setup with incredibly tight tolerances. The present investigation explores WEDM for AA6061 to optimize different process variables for attaining performance measures in terms of maximum MRR and minimum SR. Taguchi’s L18 OA matrix, S/N ratio, ANOVA and Grey Relational Analysis were employed to optimize SR and MRR. It has been noted from ANOVA that pulse on time and peak current are the most influential aspects for MRR and SR with their contributions of 13.33% and 16.25% respectively. Further, the best possible considered parameters setting has been established by applying GRA for MRR and SR are, pulse on time-50µs, pulse off time-13µs and peak current-4 amp.