WHITE-LAYER THICKNESS ON EDM-PROCESSED AISI A2 STEEL – MATHEMATICAL MODELING AND ANALYSIS

Abstract

Electrical discharge machining is an electro-thermal technique where the recast layer on a machined surface and the heat-affected zone (HAZ) immediately below the machined surface are prevalent. As a result, assessing the white layer (recast layer) in EDM is a critical task. In this research, a response-surface methodology-based comprehensive mathematical model was developed to predict the white-layer thickness (WLT) on electrical discharge machine-processed AISI A2 steel. Also, the effects of various process parameters on the WLT were presented, the optimum combination of process variables was assessed and the minimum WLT was achieved by combining low-peak current and pulse-on time with high pulse-off time.