Cps Prakash

A Study on the Machining Characteristic in Wire EDM
Process
A Thesis
Submitted by
C.P.S.Prakash
In partial fulfillment for the award of the degree

of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
in
Mechanical Engineering
Dr. MGR Educational and Research Institute

(Deemed University)
N.H. 4, Periar E.V.R. Road,
Maduravoyal, Chennai – 600 095
November, 2008
BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE
I certify that the thesis entitled A Study on the Machining

Characteristic in Wire EDM Process submitted for the degree of Doctor of
Philosophy by Mr.C.P.S.Prakash. is the record of research work carried out by
him/her during the period from 2004 to 2008 under my guidance and supervision,
and that this work has not formed the basis for the award of any degree, diploma,
associate-ship, fellowship, titles in this or any other university or other similar
institution of higher learning.
DECLARATION
I declare that the thesis titled A Study on the Machining Characteristic

in Wire EDM Process .submitted by me for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy is
the record of work carried out by me during the period from 2004 to 2008 under the
guidance of Dr.B.J.Ranganath and has not formed the basis for the award of any
degree, diploma, associate-ship, fellowship, titles in this or any other university or
other similar institution of higher learning.
ABSTRACT
Wire Electric Discharge Machining (WEDM) provides an effective solution

for machining hard materials with intricate shapes. However, selection of cutting
parameters for obtaining higher efficiency or accuracy in WEDM is still not fully
solved. This is mainly due to the complicated stochastic process mechanisms in
WEDM. As a result, the relationships between the cutting parameters and cutting
performance are difficult to establish accurately. Hence, an attempt is made to study
the machining characteristic in WEDM, to optimize the process parameters and to
estimate the quality of cut surface and accuracy for the given machining parameters.
The present work highlights the kind of surface texture that can be
achieved, optimizing important process parameters, study of MRR, Tool life,
Productive utilization of the tool, formation of recast layers and kerf width analysis.
The possibility of adopting WEDM as a metal cutting operation with a view of
increasing the productivity is also studied by experimentation. This is an important
study as it controls the MRR, surface integrity and other controlling parameters of
the process.
The analysis also deals with studying performance of wire tool electrodes
under varied machining conditions, machining different materials at different
working conditions like Cutting Voltage, Intensity of the machining pulse and
studying the effect of this on the quality of the surface obtained. A detailed analysis
of various factors to be considered in selection of wire electrodes, reducing the wear
rate, factors leading to failure of wire electrode during machining by analyzing Metal
Removal Rate (MRR), Surface Roughness and Metallurgical Evaluation are
investigated.
The variation of kerf and MRR with machining parameters and

optimization of machine settings for minimum kerf and maximum MRR are
investigated experimentally and the obtained results are interpreted and modeled
statistically to understand closely the behavior of machining rate and accuracy in
WEDM.
Most commonly used Tool Steel Materials are considered for study
like:EN8 ,EN31 ,HCHC and P20 . Machining was done with different wire
materials like: Brass Wire, Coated Brass Wire and Molybdenum Wire. Machining
has been done on Fanuc Robocut α-c WEDM Machine. Mahr Gmbh Perthometer M2
is used for Surface Roughness measurements.JSM-840A (JEOL, Japan) Scanning
Microscope is used for Micrographs and Link ISIS Oxford Instruments, UK, for
EDX analysis.
The most important performance measures in WEDM are MRR, Surface

Finish and Kerf (cutting width).Discharge current; pulse duration, pulse frequency,
wire speed, wire tension, average working voltage and dielectric flushing conditions
are the machining parameters which affect the performance measures.
Among the other performance measures, the kerf, which determines the
dimensional accuracy of the finished part, is of prime importance. In WEDM, metal
removal rate (MRR) determines the economics of machining and rate of production.
In setting the machining parameters, the main goal is the maximum MRR with the
minimum kerf. Hence optimization of process parameters for maximum MRR and
minimum kerf is done by Design of Experiments and Regression Analysis method.
Optimization of process parameters for minimum kerf and maximum MRR has a lot
of practical significance in selecting process parameters for the resulting kerf and
MRR.
Key Words:WEDM, Machining Impulse, Orthogonal array, Signal-to- Noise ratio,

ANOVA, Gap width, Electrode tool wire, Wire wear ratio, Surface Roughness, Kerf,
MRR, Micrograph, EDAX
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
My heartfelt gratitude to Dr.B.J.Ranganath, Professor & Head of the
Department, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vidyavikas Institute of
Engineering & Technology, Mysore, for his invaluable guidance and inspiration
throughout the Research Work. I respectfully dedicate this work to my mentor and guide
Dr.B.J.Ranganath.
I am grateful to Thiru A.C.Shanmugam, Chancellor, Mr.A.C.S.Arun Kumar,
Pro-Chancellor,Dr.G.Gopalakrishnan,Vice-Chancellor,Dr.P.Aravindan,Dean (Research),
Dr.Senthilvelan, Dean(E & T) and Prof. Ganeshan, Professor and HOD, Department of
Mechanical Engineering, Dr.M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute, Chennai, for
their cooperation and support.
I thank the management of Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering,
Dr.Prema Chandra Sagar,Vice Chairman,DSCE for his continued support and
encouragement, all the staff of DSCE for their help during the Research work.
I am indebted to my parents Sri.C.S.Pranesha Rao and
Smt.C.P.Shanthamma, my in-laws Sri.B.V.Sathyanarayana and Smt.B.Vijaya for their
support, my wife Smt.B.S.Radhika and son Varun.P.Kashyap for their cooperation.
C.P.S.Prakash
LIST OF CONTENTS
Chapter Title Page No

Abstract
Acknowledgement
List of Tables
List of Figures
1 Introduction 1
1.1 Need for New Technology 2
1.2 Non Conventional Machining Process 3
1.3 History of EDM 4
1.4 Theories of Metal Removal 7
1.5 Wire Cut Electric discharge Machining 8
1.6 Wire EDM Beginnings 10
1.7 How Wire EDM Works 10
1.8 Steps involved in Wire EDM Process 12
1.9 Benefits of Wire WDM 14
1.10 Process Parameters and their Influence 16
1.10.1 Influence of Wire Material characteristics 16
1.10.2 Effect of wire tension 16
1.10.3 Effect of Frequency 16
1.10.4 Heat affected Zone 17
1.10.5 Thickness of the Workpiece 17
1.10.6 Material of the Workpiece 17
1.10.7 Time ON 18
1.10.8 Time OFF 18
1.10.9 Current 18
1.10.10 Voltage 19
1.10.11 Gap size 19
1.10.12 Surface Finish 19
1.10.13 Polarity 20
1.10.14 Material Removal Rate (MRR) 20
1.10.15 Duty Factor 20
1.11 Dielectric Fluid Functions 21
1.12 Deionized water 21
1.12.1 Deionized water-considerations 21
1.13 Filtration 22
1.14 Wire-cut Chip Removal 23
1.14.1 High Velocity Fluid Flow 23
1.14.2 Positioning fluid Flow Nozzles 24
1.15 Minimum Wall thickness for Fluid Control 25
LIST OF CONTENTS (Continued)

1.16 Wire EDM transport System 26
1.17 Materials that Wire EDM can cut 27
1.18 Cost Savings with Wire EDM 29
2 Literature Survey 31
2.1 Introduction 31
2.2 Contributions of Various researchers 31
around the world
3 Objectives of the present work 45
3.1 Present Work 45
3.2 Stages of Experimental Study 46
4 Experimental Work 48
4.1 WEDM Machine Tool 48
4.2 Machine Specifications 50
4.3 Configuration of Wire Cut EDM 51
4.4 EDX Analysis 52
4.5 Instrument Used for EDX analysis 53
4.6 Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM) 55
4.7 Micrographs 57
4.8 Surface Roughness measurements 58
4.9 Work Materials used for Experimentation 58
4.10 Tool Materials used for Experimentation 60
4.10.1 Material cutting process in WEDM 61
4.10.2 The Role of the Wire 62
4.10.3 Selecting the right wire 64
4.11 Experimental Study 65
4.11.1 Comparative Study of Ferrous and Non 65
Ferrous Materials
4.11.2 Regression Analysis approach to predict 66
Surface Roughness
4.11.3 Kerf Width analysis in WEDM Process 67
4.11.4 Study of Surface quality by multipass 69
machining
4.11.5 Analysis of effects of machining 70
parameters for different workpiece
thickness
4.11.6 Analysis of White layer formation on the 72
machined surface
LIST OF CONTENTS (Continued)

4.11.7 Experimental Study on Adjustable parameters 74
of Wire Electrode
4.11.8 Analyzing Wire Failure 74
4.11.9 Effect of Gap size on the machining 79
characteristic in WEDM
4.11.10 Design of Experiments method for 80
optimization of process parameters
5 Results and Discussions 84
5.1 Comparative Study of Ferrous and Non 84
Ferrous Materials
5.2 Regression Analysis approach to predict 114
Surface Roughness
5.3 Kerf Width analysis in WEDM Process 116
5.4 Study of Surface quality by multipass 121
machining
5.5 Analysis of effects of machining parameters 123
for different workpiece thickness
5.6 Analysis of White layer formation on the 126
machined surface
5.7 Experimental Study on Adjustable parameters 130
of Wire Electrode
5.8 Analysis of Wire Failure 133
5.9 Effect of Gap size on the machining 142
characteristic in WEDM
5.10 Design of Experiments method for 144
optimization of process parameters
5.10.1 Regression Analysis for Kerf 147
5.10.2 Regression Analysis for MRR 150
6 Conclusions 155
6.1 Scope for future work 160
References 161
List of Publications 171
Vitae 173
LIST OF TABLES
Sl.no. Title of Tables Page No

1.1 Characteristics of Non-Conventional Machining Process 4
4.1 Specifications of Fanuc Robocut α-c WEDM Machine 50
4.2 Typical Analysis of En8 58
4.3 Typical Analysis of En31 59
4.4 Typical Analysis of HCHC 59
4.5 Typical Analysis of P20 59
4.6 Typical Analysis of Brass 59
4.7 Typical Analysis of Aluminium 60
4.8 Typical Analysis of Copper 60
4.9 Set Parameters during machining 71
4.10 Wire Recommendations for various categories of Wire EDM 78
job
5.1 Machining of En8 material (V constant) 84
5.2 Machining of En31 material (V constant) 86
5.3 Machining of HCHC material (V constant) 87
5.4 Machining of En8 material (T-ON constant) 91
5.5 Machining of En31 material (T-ON constant) 92
5.6 Machining of HCHC material (T-ON constant) 93
5.7 Machining of Brass material(V constant) 97
5.8 Machining of Copper material (V constant) 99
5.9 Machining of Aluminium material (V constant) 101
5.10 Machining of Brass material(T-ON constant) 103
5.11 Machining of Copper material(T-ON constant) 105
5.12 Machining of Aluminium material(T-ON constant) 107
5.13 Power Consumption while machining different materials 113
5.14 Computed values of Surface Roughness for different materials 114
5.15 Analysis of Kerf 117
5.16 Experimental values of observed Taper, MRR & Kerf 119
5.17 Surface Roughness for different Pass while machining HCHC 122
5.18 Results of machining 20mm thick HCHC specimen 123
5.19 Results of machining 30mm thick HCHC specimen 123
5.20 Results of machining 20mm thick P20 specimen 124
5.21 Results of machining 30mm thick P20 specimen 124
LIST OF TABLES (Continued)
Sl.no. Title of Tables Page No

5.22 Material Composition of En8 base material and White layer 128
5.23 Variation of cutting speed with variation of wire speed in 130
cutting HCHC steel specimen
5.24 Variation of cutting speed with variation of wire tension in 131
cutting HCHC steel specimen
5.25 Machining cost data 133
5.26 Surface roughness while machining 20mm thick HCHC 133
specimen
5.27 Comparison of Surface Roughness, Wire Wear Rate & Power 134
Consumption for Different Wire Materials in Machining
HCHC
5.28 Surface Roughness of Different Materials 134
5.29 Surface Roughness at different Machining Impulse for bare 136
Brass wire and Brass coated Copper wire.
5.30 Surface Roughness at different discharge current for bare 137
Brass wire and Brass coated Copper wire
5.31 Weight loss of different tool materials during machining 142
5.32 Machining settings used in the experiments 145
5.33 Experimental design using L18 orthogonal array 146
5.34 η values for kerf at various levels 146
5.35 η values for MRR at various levels 147
5.36 Regression Table for Kerf width 147
5.37 Analysis of Variance for Kerf width 148
5.38 ANOVA of Parameters for Kerf width 148
5.39 Residual Table for Kerf width 149
5.40 Regression Table for MRR 151
5.41 Analysis of Variance for MRR 151
5.42 ANOVA of Parameters for MRR 151
5.43 Residual Table for MRR 151
LIST OF FIGURES
Sl.no. Title of Figures Page No

1.1 Evolution of EDM 7
1.2 Wire Electrical Discharge Machining 9
1.3 Close View cutting zone in WEDM 9
1.4 Generation of spark in WEDM 10
1.5 Path of wire in WEDM 12
1.6 Power generation in WEDM 12
1.7 Erosion of material in WEDM 13
1.8 Removal of Eroded Particles 13
1.9 Chip Removal by filtration 14
1.10 Wire cut fluid flow nozzles 23
1.11 Full wire plunge machining 24
1.12 Partial-wire finish machining 25
1.13 Wire EDM transport system. 26
4.1 Fanuc Robocut α-c WEDM Machine 48
4.2 Schematic Diagram of WEDM 49
4.3 WEDM machining of the specimen. 49
4.4 Configuration of WEDM 51
4.5 Elements in an EDX spectrum 53
4.6 Link ISIS Oxford Instruments, UK 54
4.7 JSM-840A (JEOL, Japan) Scanning Microscope 57
4.8 Mahr Gmbh Perthometer M2 58
4.9 Machining process in WEDM 61
4.10 Schematic diagram of WEDM process 62
4.11 Details of WEDM cutting Kerf 67
4.12 Tool Makers Microscope used for Kerf width measurement 69
4.13 EDM heat affected zone 73
4.14 Wire fixing fixture and the spool on WEDM machine 75
4.15 Wire Driving System 76
4.16 Spool Dimensions & Package 77
4.17 Modeling of Vibration effect on WEDM 77
4.18 Performance Requirements for the wire electrode 78
4.19 WEDM operation showing the gap width 79
5.1 Micrograph of En8 specimen T-ON:10 (V constant) 85
5.2 Micrograph of En8 specimen T-ON:12 (V constant) 85
LIST OF FIGURES (Continued)

5.3 Micrograph of En31 specimen (V constant) 86
5.4 Micrograph of HCHC specimen (T-ON:8) 87
5.5 Micrograph of HCHC specimen(T-ON:10) 88
5.6 Micrograph of HCHC specimen(T-ON:12) 88
5.7 Surface Roughness while machining En8,En31 & HCHC 88
(Voltage constant)
5.8 MRR while machining En8,En31 & HCHC ( Voltage constant) 89
5.9 Micrograph of En8 specimen (T-ON constant) 91
5.10 Micrograph of En31 specimen(T-ON constant) 92
5.11 Micrograph of HCHC specimen(T-ON constant) 93
5.12 Surface Roughness while machining En8,En31 & HCHC (T- 94
ON constant)
5.13 MRR While machining En8,En31 & HCHC (T-ON constant) 94
5.14 Comparison of Surface Roughness for En8 95
5.15 Comparison of Surface Roughness for En31 96
5.16 Comparison of Surface Roughness for HCHC 96
5.17 Micrograph of Brass specimen (T-ON:8) 97
5.18 Micrograph of Brass specimen(T-ON:10) 98
5.19 Micrograph of Brass specimen(T-ON:12) 98
5.20 Micrograph of Copper specimen(T-ON:8) 100
5.23 Micrograph of Aluminum specimen(V constant) 102
5.24 Surface Roughness while machining Brass, Copper & 102
Aluminum ( Voltage constant)
5.25 MRR while machining Brass, Copper & Aluminum (Voltage 103
constant)
5.26 Micrograph of Brass Specimen(V:10) 104
5.29 Micrograph of Copper Specimen(V:10) 106
5.32 Micrograph of Aluminum Specimen(V:10) 108

5.33 Surface Roughness while machining Brass, Copper & 108
Aluminum (T-ON constant)
5.34 MRR while machining Brass, Copper & Aluminum (T-ON 109
constant)
5.35 En31 specimen being cut on WEDM 109
5.36 Aluminum specimen being cut on WEDM 110
5.37 Non Ferrous specimens staked together during machining 110
5.38 EDX analysis of cut HCHC specimen 110
5.39 EDX analysis of cut En31 specimen 111
5.40 EDX analysis of cut En8 specimen 111
5.41 EDX analysis of cut Aluminum specimen 111
5.42 EDX analysis of cut Copper specimen 112
5.43 Power Consumption for different Machining Impulse while 113
cutting En8, En31, HCHC
5.44 ANOVA table showing variance values for surface roughness 115
(output)
5.45 Regression Curve Fitting for HCHC 115
5.46 Residuals Plot with Histogram showing frequency of Residuals 116
5.47 ANOVA table showing variance values for Kerf (output) 117
5.48 Regression Curve Fitting for Kerf (HCHC) 118
5.49 Residuals Plot with Histogram showing frequency of Residuals 118
for Kerf
5.50 Plot of Machining Impulse and Kerf Taper 119
5.51 Plot of Machining Impulse and MRR 120
5.52 Plot of Machining Impulse and Kerf Width 120
5.53 Micrograph of HCHC Specimen 121
5.54 View of the kerf width in HCHC specimen 121
5.55 Surface Roughness for different pass while machining HCHC 122
5.56 Micrograph of HCHC Specimen –multipass machining 122
5.57 Comparison of Average Surface Roughness values of HCHC 124
& P20 material ( 20mm)
5.58 Comparison of Average Surface Roughness values of HCHC & 125
P20 material (30mm )
5.59 Comparison of Feed Rate values of HCHC & P20 material 125
(20mm )

5.60 Comparison of Feed Rate values of HCHC & P20 material 125
(30mm)
5.61 EDXA Plot of En8 127
5.62 EDXA Plot of En31 127
5.63 Formation of a White Layer in Machining En8 Steel with Zinc 127
Coated Copper Wire
5.64 Formation of a White Layer in Machining En31 Steel with Zinc 128
Coated Copper Wire
5.65 WEDM Affected Surface Layers: 1. Outermost Layer (White 129
Layer), 2.Intermediate Layer, 3.Unaffected Parent Metal
5.66 Specimen preparation by etching with natal solution 129
5.67 White Layer Depth for Different Discharge Energy in 130
Machining En8 Steel
5.68 Wire Electrode bending due improper wire tension 131
5.69 Schematic arrangement of WEDM Process 132
5.70 Power Consumption for different Machining Impulse while 134
cutting HCHC by Copper Wire with Brass coating and
Molybdenum wire
5.71 MRR for different Machining Impulse while cutting HCHC by 135
Copper Wire with Brass coating and Molybdenum wire
5.72 Surface Roughness for different Machining Impulse while 135
cutting HCHC by Copper Wire with Brass coating and
Molybdenum wire
5.73 Wire Wear Rate for different machining Impulse while cutting 135
HCHC by Copper Wire with Brass coating and Molybdenum
wire
5.74 Surface Roughness for different machining Impulse in cutting 137
HCHC by bare Brass wire and Copper Wire with Brass coating
5.75 Surface Roughness for different discharge current in cutting 137
5.76 Micrograph of HCHC, EN31 & EN8 specimen 138
5.77 Micrograph of Brass Wire 138
5.78 Micrograph of broken Brass Wire cross section 138
5.79 Micrograph of Molybdenum Wire 139
5.80 Micrograph of broken Molybdenum Wire cross section 139
5.81 EDX analysis of Brass surface 139

5.82 EDX analysis of Brass cross-section 140
5.83 EDX analysis of Molybdenum surface 140
5.84 EDX analysis of Molybdenum cross-section 140
5.85 Surface Roughness for different Gap Size 143
5.86 Surface Roughness for different Pulse Rate Results 144
5.87 Residual plots for kerf width 150
5.88 Residual plots for MRR 152
5.89 Response Surface plot for kerf 153
5.90 Contour plot for kerf 153
5.91 Response Surface plot for MRR 154
5.92 Contour plot for MRR 154
1
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Shaping the work to the required form by removing the unwanted

material in the form of the chip is one of the leading and earliest methods of
manufacturing in engineering industry. The operation, involving the removal of the
material using a wedge shaped tool, is known as machining. Machining to shape the
work by cutting the material to form a chip includes various operations like turning,
boring, drilling, milling, shaping and planning, broaching, grinding, etc. Although
metals and non-metals like plastics, fiber glass, etc., are machined in practice, the
term metal cutting is widely used to study the science and technology in the chip
formation processes. This is due to the established characteristics of the behavior of
metals during machining and the dominance of the process in shaping metals and
their alloys.
Shaping of material using a cutting tool was known to pre-historic

Egyptians (400BC). But that was applied mainly to shaping stone, mainly for
drilling. With the invention of steam engine by James Watt (around 1776), the
application of machining, here the boring of the engine cylinder, the machining of
metals was effectively applied in engineering. The lathe was the early machine tool
developed to perform various machining operations. The material machined was
normally cast irons and brass with carbon steel as the tool material.
Many researchers have contributed in understanding the process of

machining right from 1860.Till early 1900 their evaluation was limited to what is
known as the “crack theory”, that is, a crack is formed in the material ahead of the
tool, so that the chip is formed by the splitting of the material. F.W.Taylor
2
(around1907) conducted some interesting experiments in metal cutting mostly in the

area of tool life and factors affecting the same.
With the advancement of technology with the resultant development of

higher grades of steels and other non-ferrous metals and high temperature refractory
materials and their wide applications in space, nuclear, armament, automobile, ship
building, power generation, etc. has changed not only the machine tools to process
them but also in their tooling. This has led to the development of automatic
machines, transfer machines, NC/CNC machines, etc. To perform well in machining
high-alloy steels and other high strength and temperature resistant materials, a good
number of new tool materials have been developed. This includes wide varieties of
HSS, carbides, ceramic tools, etc. In a similar way considerable modification in the
tool geometry has taken place to cut the metal at high speed facilitating easy chip
disposal.
In view of achieving higher production through consistent efforts by the

manufacturing engineer, the manufacturing scenario has drastically changed in the
present day metal cutting industry, focusing towards an automated factory concept.
Flexible manufacturing system, computer integrated manufacturing systems, a wide
application of industrial robots, automated material handling and inspection systems
has helped a lot in industrial automation and better productivity. All such progress in
machine tools and metal machining is the outcome of the persistent effort, research
work and logical thinking of scientists working in the area of metal cutting to
understand what is happening when a cutting tool is fed into the work to cut the
material.
1.1 Need for New Technology:
Despite rapid technological advancements in the field of conventional

machining processes, the machining of carbides and other hard-to-machine materials
has been limited to the diamond wheel grinding for a long time. The process has
3
become costly because of the scarcity and high cost of the abrasives necessary for the
diamond wheel. Moreover, the rapid development of the technologically advanced
industries like aerospace, nuclear power, etc. has been accompanied by an ever
increasing use of the high-strength-temperature-resistant (HSTR) alloys. Besides, the
processing of the parts of complicated shapes have been difficult, time consuming
and uneconomical by the conventional methods of machining. Thus,neither the
conventional techniques of machining are in a position to meet the challenges posed
by the new development of materials nor is there any greater scope for further
development. It is; therefore, clear that some new strategies of machining must be
developed in order to deal with the problems created by the development and use of
the hard-to-machine and high strength-temperature-resistant alloys. (B.L.Juneja
1995)
1.2 Non-Conventional Machining Process:
The conventional machining processes remove material by chip

formation, abrasion, or micro chipping. There are situations where these processes
are not satisfactory, economical, or even impossible for the following reasons:
 The hardness and strength of the material is very high or the material is too
brittle.
 The work piece is too flexible, slender, or delicate to withstand the cutting or
grinding forces, or the parts are difficult to fixture- that is, to clamp in work
holding devices.
 The shape of the part is complex, including such features as internal and external
profiles or small-diameter holes.
 Surface finish and dimensional tolerance requirements are more rigorous than
those obtained by other processes.
 Temperature rise and residual stresses in the work piece are not desirable or
acceptable.
These requirements led to the development of chemical, electrical, laser,

and other means of material removal, termed as un-conventional or non-traditional
4
machining methods. There are a number of un-Conventional machining processes

having different characteristics as listed below in Table 1.1.
Table 1.1Characteristics of Non-Conventional Machining Process

Process Characteristics
Chemical Shallow removal on flat surfaces suitable for low production runs
machining
Electro chemical Complex shapes with deep cavities can be machined with highest
machining material removal rates
Electric discharge Shaping and cutting complex parts made of hard materials, some
machining damage may occur due to spark erosion.
Wire EDM Contour cutting of flat or curved surfaces; expensive equipment
Electron beam Cutting and hole making on thin materials. Very small holes and
machining slots can be made; expensive equipment. It requires vacuum.
Laser beam Cutting and hole making on thin materials. Very small holes and
machining slots can be made; expensive equipment. But, does not require
vacuum as in EBM
Water jet Cutting all types of metallic materials up to 25 mm thickness; no
machining thermal damage; noisy
Abrasive jet Cutting, slotting, deburring, etching of metallic and non-metallic
machining materials; tends to round off sharp edges.
Out of the above-mentioned processes, the present research is restricted

to the wire cut electric discharge machining process (WEDM).
1.3 History of EDM
The historical roots of EDM date back to the discovery of electric

discharges. Besides the discharges produced by natural phenomena, namely
lightning, the production of artificial discharges has been closely related to the
development of electrical energy sources. First investigations of electrostatic
phenomena were performed with frictional machines, during the first half of the 18th
5
century. After that, the first sparks and pulsed arcs were produced with Leyden jars,
an early form of capacitor invented in Germany and in the Netherlands.
Around 1745, more powerful discharges were created by putting several
Leyden jars in parallel, creating thus a battery. Although scientists of this period
sensed that the nature of these artificial discharges was the same as the nature of
lightning, the understanding of the observed phenomena was incomplete. Joseph
Priestley (1733/1804), an English theologian and chemist, was the first to discover in
1766 erosion craters left by electric discharges on the cathode surface. Priestley also
investigated the influence of the electrode material and of the discharge current on
the craters size. Whereas the discharges studied by Priestley were pulsed and
oscillating (because created by short-circuiting of Leyden jars), continuous
discharges could only be produced with battery of electrochemical cells, invented
later by Alessandro Volta (1745/1827) in 1799. By developing very large voltaic
batteries, the first continuous carbon arc was produced by Vasilii Petrov in St-
Petersburg in 1802. Published in 1803 but only in Russian, his discovery remained
ignored and forgotten for over a century. The discovery of electric arcs is thus often
attributed to Humphry Davy (1778/1829). Unaware of Petrov’s work, he re-
discovered independently carbon arcs around 1808, using the huge voltaic battery of
the Royal Institution of London. By separating two horizontal carbon electrodes
connected to the battery, Davy created a bright and stable discharge. The shape of
this discharge was arched, giving its name to the phenomenon. Development of
devices using electric arcs for lighting purposes followed quickly. Swiss natural
philosopher Auguste-Arthur de la Rive (1801/1873) proved in 1820 that arcs can also
burn in vacuum, by creating a discharge in an exhausted glass vessel.
With sophistication of electric sources and industrialisation, Auguste de

Meritens (1834/1898) developed in 1881 in France a second major application using
electric arcs. He used the heat produced by an arc for joining lead plates, inventing
the principle of arc welding. Nowadays, electric arcs are also used for coating
deposition, metal processing, plasma spraying and as high power switches. The
history of EDM itself begins in 1943, with the invention of its principle by Russian
scientists Boris and Natalya Lazarenko in Moscow. The Soviet government assigned
6
them to investigate the wear caused by sparking between tungsten electrical contacts,
a problem which was particularly critical for maintenance of automotive engines
during the Second World War. Putting the electrodes in oil, they found that the
sparks were more uniform and predictable than in air. They had then the idea to
reverse the phenomenon, and to use controlled sparking as an erosion method.
Though they could not solve the original wear problem, the Lazarenkos developed
during the war the first EDM machines, which were very useful to erode hard metals
such as tungsten or tungsten carbide. The “Lazarenko circuit” remained the standard
EDM generator for years. In the 1950’s, progress was made on understanding the
erosion phenomenon. It is also during this period that industries produced the first
EDM machines. Swiss industries were involved very early in this market, and still
remain leaders nowadays.
In the 1960’s as shown in Figure 1.1, the development of the semi-

conductor industry permitted considerable improvements in EDM machines. Die-
sinking machines became reliable and produced surfaces with controlled quality,
whereas wire-cutting machines were still at their very beginning. With the
introduction of numerical position control in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, the
movements of electrodes became much more precise. This major improvement
pushed forward the performance of wire-cutting machines. Computer numerical
controlled systems (CNC) improved further the performance of EDM in the mid
1970’s. During the following decades, efforts were principally made in generator
design, process atomization, servo-control and robotics. Applications in micro-
machining became also of interest during the 1980’s. It is also from this period that
the world market of EDM began to increase strongly, and that specific applied EDM
research took over basic EDM research. Finally, new methods for EDM process
control arose in the 1990’s.
The evolution of the wire EDM in the 70’s was due to powerful
generators, new wire tool electrodes, better mechanical concepts, improved machine
intelligence, better flushing. Over the years the speed of wire EDM has gone up 20
times when it was first introduced, machining costs have decreased by atleast 30%
7
over the years. Surface finish has improved by a factor of 15, while discharge current
has gone up more than 10 times higher.
Figure 1.1 Evolution of EDM
1.4 Theories of Material Removal in EDM:
The removal of material in electrical discharge machining is based upon

the erosion effect of electric sparks occurring between two electrodes. Several
theories have been forwarded in attempts to explain the complex phenomenon of
“erosive spark”. The following are the theories:
1. Electro-mechanical theory
2. Thermo-mechanical theory
3. Thermo-electric theory
 Electro-mechanical theory:
This theory suggests that abrasion of material particles takes place as a

result of the concentrated electric field. The theory proposes that the electric field
separates the material particles of the work piece as it exceeds the forces of cohesion
8
in the lattice of the material. This theory neglects any thermal effects. Experimental
evidence lacks supports for this theory.
 Thermo-mechanical theory:
This theory suggests that material removal in EDM operation is

attributed to the melting of material caused by ‘flame jets” .These so-called flame
jets are formed as a result of various electrical effects of the discharge .However,
this theory does not agree with experimental data and fails to give a reasonable
explanation of the effect of spark erosion.
 Thermo-electric theory:
This theory, best-supported by experimental evidence, suggests that

metal removal in EDM operation takes place as a result of the generation of
extremely high temperature generated by the high intensity of the discharge current.
Although well supported, this theory cannot be considered as definite and complete
because of difficulties in interpretation.
1.5 Wire Cut Electric Discharge Machining
New materials created and/or demanded by space age technology

sometimes cannot be economically cut using conventional cutting tools. Special,
super-hard materials, normally quite expensive, are required. Synthetic diamonds or
diamond compounds that are almost impossible to grind are very expensive, but are
cut effectively by WEDM.
The process wastes very little work piece material due to its small kerf
size, coupled with the fact that the process can accurately cut unusual shapes. In
modern manufacturing industry, WEDM has been extensively used to machine
complicated shapes on advanced materials with high accuracy. WEDM is one of the
most extended non-conventional machining processes. It is widely used to machine
dies and moulds aimed at producing components for many industries. The main
advantage of WEDM is its capability for the production of high complexity shapes
9
with a high degree of accuracy, independently of the mechanical properties of the

material (especially, hardness, brittleness and resistance).
Wire EDM uses brass, tungsten, or copper as its material for the
electrode tool wire. Deionized water is used for the dielectric fluid. Almost like the
standard EDM, the wire is eroded and slowly fed. Although it is similar to standard
EDM, higher currents and lower rest times make this process much faster. Figure 1.2
shows the principle of WEDM process and Figure 1.3 shows the close view of
machining zone.
Figure 1.2 Wire Electrical Discharge machining system
Figure 1.3 Closeview of cutting zonein WEDM

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1.6 Wire EDM Beginnings
In 1969, the Swiss firm Agie produced the world’s first wire EDM
machine. Typically, these first machines in the early 70s were extremely slow,
cutting about 2 square inches an hour (21 mm2/min.). Their speeds went up in the
early 80s to 6 square inches an hour (64 mm2/min.). Today, machines are equipped
with automatic wire threading and can cut over 20 times faster than the earlier
machines.
1.7 How Wire EDM Works
WEDM is a special form of electrical discharge machining wherein the

electrode is a continuously moving conductive wire. Material removal is effected as a
result of spark erosion as the wire electrode is fed (from a spool) through the work
piece. Figure 1.4 shows schematic view of generation of spark before the tool wire
electrode starting the machining cycle.
Figure 1.4: Generation of spark inWEDM
Rapid DC electrical pulses are generated between the wire electrode and the
work piece. Between the wire and the work piece is a shield of deionized water,
called the dielectric fluid. Pure water is an insulator, but tap water usually contains
minerals that cause the water to be too conductive for wire EDM. To control the
water conductivity, the water goes through a resin tank to remove much of its
conductive elements; this is called de ionized water.
11
When sufficient voltage is applied, the fluid ionizes. Then a controlled spark
precisely erodes a small section of the work piece, causing it to melt and vaporize.
These electrical pulses are repeated thousands of times per second. The pressurized
cooling fluid, the dielectric, cools the vaporized metal and forces the re solidified
eroded particles from the gap.
The dielectric fluid goes through a filter which removes the suspended solids.
Resin removes dissolved particles; filters remove suspended particles. To maintain
machine and part accuracy, the dielectric fluid flows through a chiller to keep the
liquid at a constant temperature.
In this process, which is similar to contour cutting with the band saw, a
slowly moving wire travels along the prescribed path, cutting the work piece, with
the discharge sparks acting like cutting teeth. This process is used to cut plates as
thick as 300mm and for making punches, tools and dies from hard metals. It can also
cut intricate components for the electronic industry.
The tool wire is usually made up of brass, copper or tungsten; zinc-or

brass-coated and multi-coated wires are also used. The wire diameter is typically
about 0.30mm for roughing cuts and 0.20mm for finishing cut. The wire should have
sufficient tensile strength and fracture toughness, as well as high electrical
conductivity and capacity to flush away the debris produced during cutting.
The tool wire is generally used only once, as the wire gets deformed and loses
its tensile strength. The wire travels at a constant velocity in range of 0.15 to 9.0
m/min, and a constant gap (kerf) is maintained during the cut. Figure 1.5 shows the
path of wire generated by CNC automated computer system.
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Figure 1.5 Path of wire in WEDM
A DC or AC servo system maintains a gap from .002 to .003" (.051 to .076

mm) between the wire electrode and the work piece. The servo mechanism prevents
the wire electrode from shorting out against the work piece and advances the
machine as it cuts the desired shape. Because the wire never touches the work piece,
wire EDM is a stress-free cutting operation.
1.8Steps involved in Wire EDM process
Figure 1.6 Power generation in WEDM

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Power Supply Generates Volts and Amps: Deionized water surrounds the wire
electrode as the power supply generates volts and amps to produce the spark. Figure
1.6 shows how power supplygenerates volts and amps
Figure 1.7 Erosion of Material in WEDM
During ON Time Controlled Spark Erodes Material: Figure: 1.7 shows how Sparks
precisely melt and vaporize the material.
Figure 1.8 Removal of Eroded Particles
Off Time Allows Fluid to Remove Eroded Particles:During the off cycle,
the pressurized dielectric fluid immediately cools the material and f1ushes the eroded
particles as shown in Figure 1.8
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Figure 1.9 Chip Removal by Filtration
Filter Removes Chips While the Cycle is Repeated:The eroded particles

are removed and separated by a filter system as shown in Figure 1.9
1. 9 Benefits of Wire EDM
 Efficient production capabilities.

Because of the precision and high-speed of wire EDM machines,
manufacturers are increasingly discovering that many parts can be more
economically produced with wire EDM, rather than with conventional
machining.
 Production reliability
The constant reliability of wire EDM is one of the greater advantages of
this process. Because the programs are computer generated and the electrode is
constantly being fed from a spool (the tool wire electrode is used only once), the last
part is identical to the first part. The cutter wear found in conventional machining
does not exist. In addition, tighter machining tolerances can be maintained without
additional cost.
15
 Without EDM impossible to Machine

As more and more engineers, tool designers, and machinists understand
the wire EDM process, many unique machining processes can be performed that
can only be done with wire EDM.
 Reduced Costs
To be competitive in today's market it is important to take advantage of
every cost-saving procedure available. The high-speed cutting wire EDM
machines of today have dramatically reduced costs for many manufactured parts.
Conventional machining leaves sharp edges and often burrs when machined, but
a radius can be made with wire EDM without any additional cost. This eliminates
a filing or sanding operation.
 Stress-Free and Burr-Free Cutting

Wire EDM is a non-contact, force-free, metal-removing process which
eliminates cutting stress and resultant mechanical distortion. Extremely thin
sections can be machined because the wire electrode never contacts the material
being cut. Materials cut with wire EDM are totally burr-free, and the edges are
perfectly straight. Thin parts can be stacked and cut without leaving any burrs.
 Tight Tolerances and Excellent Finishes

The wire path is controlled by a CNC computer-generated program, with
part accuracies up to +/- .0001" (.0025 mm). Dowel holes can be produced with
wire EDM to be either press or slip fit. The extremely fine finish from the
standard wire EDM process often eliminates the need for grinding or other
finishing procedures.
 Program Files Downloadable

If the parts to be machined are programmed on a CAD system, many job
shops can accept the files directly into their systems. Electronically transmitting
these files eliminates the need for reprogramming the parts.
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1.10Process parameters and their Influence:
WEDM is complex in nature and controlled by large number of

parameters. These parameters have to be controlled for effective working of the
cutting process. The parameters may be grouped into input parameters and output
parameters. Input parameters are those variables which are required to run the cutting
process. The output parameters are those which are the outcome of the process and
are observed on the finished work after cutting. Some of the process parameters in
WEDM process are:
1.10.1 Influence of wire material characteristics:
As WEDM uses a thin wire as a single electrode, it is not necessary to

make different shape of tool electrode to achieve the complex contours. However, to
prevent the wire breaking, it becomes critical to obtain a continuous machining
process. There has been a lot of effort by researchers over the years to improve the
technology of the tool by overcoming the thermal effects to prevent the
toolwire from breaking during the process. The optimal selection of wire properties
would also determineitsfinalperformance.
1.10.2 Effect of wire tension
Within a considerable range, an increase in wire tension significantly

increases the cutting speed. A higher tension decreases the wire vibration amplitude
and hence decreases the cut width, so that the speed is higher for the same discharge
energy. However, if the applied tension exceeds the tensile strength of the wire, it
leads to wire breakage.
1.10.3 Effect of frequency
This is a measure of the number of time the current is turned on and off.
During roughing the ON time is increased significantly for high removal rates and
there are fewer cycles per second, hence a lower frequency setting. Finish cycles will
17
have many cycles per second hence a larger frequency setting. Frequency should not
be confused with the duty cycle as this is a measure of efficiency.
1.10.4 Heat affected Zone
The Wire EDM process is a thermal process and, therefore, some

annealing of the work piece can be expected in a zone just below the machined
surface. In addition, not all of the work piece material melted by the discharge is
expelled into the dielectric. The remaining melted material is quickly chilled,
primarily by heat condition into the bulk of the work piece, resulting in an
exceedingly hard surface.
Since, the annealing effect is most common when unstable machining

conditions exist, it can be reduced by choosing conditions that produce better
stability.
1.10.5 Thickness of the Work piece
In the WEDM process, cutting speed decreases as the thickness of the

work piece increases. Normally, WEDM uses a transistor controlled capacitor circuit
in which the cutting speed is controlled by a capacitor value. When using a fixed
capacitor to machine a thicker work piece, the cutting speed is decreased.
1.10.6 Material of the Work piece
Specific properties of the work piece material also influence the process.
These properties include how well the metal is polished, its magnetic condition, and
how the metal was removed from the heat treatment process when it was produced.
One must also consider expansion and contraction according to the temperature of
the materiel. For material processed by EDM or WEDM, the initial surface condition
affects the results. A low melting point in the material increases the MRR, and
improper heat treatment of the metal results in distortion and breakage of the mold.
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1.10.7 Time ON
All the work is done during time ON. The spark gap is bridged, current is
generated and the work is accomplished. The longer the spark is sustained more is
the material removal. Consequently the resulting craters will be broader and deeper;
therefore the surface finish will be rougher. Obviously with shorter duration of
sparks the surface finish will be better. With a positively charged work piece the
spark leaves the tool and strikes the work piece resulting in the machining. Except
during roughing all the sparks that leave the tool result in a microscopic removal of
particles of the surface. More sparks produce much more wear; hence this process
behaves quite opposite to normal processes in which the tool wears more during
finishing than roughing. Electrode material too plays a significant factor in tool wear.
1.10.8 Time OFF
While most of the machining takes place during time ON of the pulse,
the time off during which the pulse rests and the reionization of the die-electric takes
place, can affect the speed of the operation in a large way. More is the off time
greater will be the machining time. But this is an integral part of the EDM process
and must exist. The time off also governs the stability of the process. An insufficient
off time can lead to erratic cycling and retraction of the advancing servo, slowing
down the operation cycle.
1.10.9 Current
The average current is the average of the amperage in the spark gap
measured over a complete cycle. This is read on the ammeter during the process. The
theoretical average current can be measured by multiplying the duty cycle and the
peak current (max. current available for each pulse from the power supply
/generator). Avg. current is an indication of the machining operation efficiency with
respect to MRR. The concept of maximum peak amperage that can be applied to the
electrode is an important factor.Before determiningthe max. Peak amperagethefrontal
19
area of the electrode minus the area ofanyflushholesmustbedetermined. This setting

can be fed into the CNC that controls the EDM operation.
1.10.10 Voltage
The voltage used is usually a DC power source of 40 to 400Volts. An AC

power source can also be used but it is usually coupled with a DC rectifier. The
preset voltage determines the width of the spark gap between the leading edge of the
electrode and the work piece. High voltage settings increase the gap and hence the
flushing and machining.
1.10.11 Gap size
This is one of the most crucial parts of the EDM system. The size of the
gap is governed by the servo control system whose motion is controlled by gap width
sensors. They control the motion of the ram head or the quill, which in turn governs
the gap size. Typical values of the gap size are between 0.010 to 0.050 mm, although
gap sizes as small as of several hundred to several thousands of micrometers can be
found depending on the application, current, voltage, and the die-electric media. To
maintain a constant gap size the feed rate should be equal to the MRR. The gap size
governs the possibility of sparking and arcing.
1.10.12 Surface finish
The EDM process produces surface that contains a layer of recast-

spattered metal, which is usually hard and cracked. Below this recast layer it is
possible to have some surface alterations due to abusive machining. These are more
pronounced when we use abusive machining conditions. The last layer is the heat-
affected zone or the annealed layer, which has only been heated, not melted. The
depth of the recast and the heat-affected zone is determined by the heat sinking
ability of the material and the power used for the cut. The altered metal zone
influences the quality of the surface integrity.
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1.10.13 Polarity
Polarity refers to the electrical conditions determining the direction of the

current flow relative to the electrode. The polarity of the electrode can be either
positive or negative. Depending on the application, some electrode/work metal
combination gives better results when the polarity is changed. Generally the graphite,
a positive electrode gives better wear condition and negative gives better speed.
1.10.14 Material removal rate (MRR):
Achieving an efficient MRR is not simply a matter of good machine

settings. It also includes direct energy dissipated in the EDM process. This energy
can be dissipated in three ways:
 In the work piece: MRR is influenced by the thermal conductivity of the work
piece. Copper for example has a low melting point but it also has a low MRR as
it is a good conductor of heat. On the other hand steel has a high melting point
but a low Thermal conductivity hence has a higher MRR.
 In the gap: Particles in the work gap will contribute significantly to slowing
down the MRR.
 In the electrode: The MRR is also influenced by the electrode and the work piece
selection.
1.10.15 Duty factor
This is an important parameter in the EDM process. This is given by the

ratio of the ON time to the total time.If we have a high duty factor then the flushing
time is very less and this might lead to the short circuit condition. A small duty factor
indicates a high off time and low machining rate. Therefore there has to be a
compromise between the two depending on the tool used, the workpiece and the
conditions prevailing.
21
1.11 Dielectric –Fluid Functions:
EDM dielectric fluids perform four functions necessary for spark

machining. The fluids provide:
1. A known electrical barrier between the electrode and work piece:
2. Cooling for the electrode and work-piece
3. Cooling for the vaporized material that becomes the EDM chip upon
solidification
4. A means for removal of the EDM-spark debris from the sparking gap.
1.12 Deionized Water:
Deionised water absorbs materials that make the water electrically

conductive during the sparking process. As water absorbs materials the dielectric
characteristics of the water change. This also changes the water’s ionization point
and it affects the reliability and repeatability of the sparking process. Given these
facts it would appear that deionised water is not an acceptable dielectric fluid. But
wire-cut EDM uses dielectric fluid differently than die-sinker EDM. In most
instances, wire cut machining operations are not performed with the work piece
submerged. Instead, a high velocity flow of fresh deionised water surrounds the
electrode and covers the work piece in the sparking area, it then returns immediately
to the collection system for reprocessing. This process ensures that the deionised
water passing through the sparking area will stay within the acceptable range of the
electrical characteristics required for precise EDM operations. In addition, it makes
deionised water the dielectric fluid of choice for wire-cut operations.
1.12.1Deionized water –Considerations
The following considerations are to be followed while using a deionized

water dielectric system.
 The deionizer unit removes dissolved material from water. This material then
collects in the unit, diminishing the capability of the deioniser to produce
22
acceptable water quality. At some point the deioniser material must be

replaced.
 A process known as ion exchange deionises water. This process requires the
use of a resin material. When replacing the deionizer unit, the used material
must be disposed of accordance with environmental requirements.
 Water from the factory source may not be acceptable for filling or replacing
water for the deionised water system. It may be necessary to obtain pre-
deionised water.
 Bacteria and fungus can grow in the system and cause problems with the
deionizer unit and filters. If this happens, the system might have to be purged
and cleaned before acceptable water can be produced.
 Machine manufacturer recommendations should always be observed in
setting up, using, and maintaining a deionised water dielectric system.
1.13Filtration:
Dielectric fluid needs to be filtered to remove EDM chips and by
products that are produced during sparking. The filter assembly provided with the
most EDM machines consists of a canister that contains the filter with a replaceable
element. When the element becomes clogged and fluid flow through the filter is
restricted, the element is removed and replaced.
Disposal of the used filter must be in accordance with proper

environmental considerations. It is a good policy for filter elements used with
hydrocarbon fluids, to drain the fluid from the element prior to disposal. The
salvaged fluid can be returned to the machine’s dielectric system.Filters do not
completely remove all particles from the fluid. Filter elements are rated in microns
according to their level of filtration.
Elements supplied for EDM filtration normally fall within a range of 5-

20 microns. This rating indicates that the filter, when new removes particles larger
23
than the micron rating size. Particles of the rated size smaller will pass through the
filter element. As the filter is used, even the small passages become clogged with
debris. Dielectric flow through the filter is then restricted and the filter element must
be replaced to obtain required fluid flow.
1.14Wire-cutchip Removal
Chip removal for a wire-cut machine is simple compared to a die-sinker

machine. Wire-cut machines include fluid-flow systems that provide dielectric-fluid
flow with pressure to the top and bottom surfaces of the workpiece. The fluid is
introduced into the sparking area by nozzles that direct flow into the machined
opening. Figure 1.10illustrates the positioning of the fluid-flow nozzles.
Figure 1.10 Wire cut fluid flow nozzles
1.14.1 High Velocity Fluid Flow
Wire-cut machining normally requires high-velocity flow of fluid

through the sparking area; the fluid must encapsulate the electrode wire and cover the
entire sparking area, as fluid flows through the sparking area and out of the machined
opening, the EDM chips are carried with it.
24
1.14.2Positioning Fluid-Flow Nozzles
Fluid flow nozzles must be positioned very close to the top and bottom
workpiece surfaces for effective fluid control and chip removal. If fluid escapes at
either surface, less fluid will arrive in the sparking area. Fluid must be supplied to the
sparking area so that the electrode tool wire is completely surrounded with it. This
provides the controlled sparking condition required for wire-cut machining. The
dielectric fluid also cools the electrode tool wire that is heated by the wire’s sparking
and the passage of this spark electricity. Electrode tool wire breakage occurs if fluid
does not properly surround the wire.Wire-cut machining is categorized into two
classifications.
 Full-wire plunge machining.
 Partial-wire finish machining.
Full-wire plunge machining creates an sparking area on the electrode

wire, Figure 1.11 illustrates this type of machining.
Figure 1.11 Full wire plunge machining
In full-wire plunge machining centre enough care needs to be taken in

controlling the fluid flow as it surrounds the electrode tool wire. After establishing
the machined kerf slot, fluid flow is fairly consistent. But at the start of the
machining operation fluid flow may be difficult to establish. If the electrode tool
wire enters from a surface outside of the workpiece, fluid flow may not be
25
controllable enough to allow efficient machining conditions. In this case, reduced

sparking energy should be used until the tool wire machines a slot into the
workpiece. Otherwise, wire breakage is likely. A preferred method for starting a
wire-cut machining operation is to provide a pre-drilled start hole in the workpiece to
create positive fluid control by surrounding the electrode tool wire with fluid. In
Partial wire finish machining wire plunge creates less than 1800 sparking area as
shown in Figure 1.12. In partial-wire machining, a curtain of fluid covers the
workpiece in the sparking area and encloses the electrode wire. Chips are carried
away with the fluid as it flows past the machined surface. Fluid flow for partial-wire
machining is at a much lower velocity than full-wire machining. Controlling the
dielectric fluid is a major consideration when using partial wire sparking. High
velocity flow is used for full-wire plunge machining, but is not acceptable for partial-
wire machining, which does not have enclosed sparking area.
Figure 1.12 Partial-wire finish machining
1.15Minimum Wall Thickness for Fluid Control
Loss of fluid in the sparking area also occurs due to insuffient material at
the sides of the machining operation. In most machining operation it is desirable to
remove as little of workpiece material as possible. But in a full plunge machining, a
certain wall thickness is required for efficient fluid control. A narrow wall does not
allow the fluid-flow nozzle to seal the workpiece surface from fluid coming through
the nozzle. Therefore a wall thickness of less than 0.250inch (6.35mm) should be
26
used with full-plunge machining. Any thinner wall thickness can result in escaping
fluid, increased machining time and possible wire breakage.
1.16wire EDM transport system
Wire EDM uses an electrically charged thin brass wire, which is moved by
computer control, close to, but not touching, the part to be cut. The wire and the work
piece are either fully submerged, or the part is vigorously flushed with a dielectric
liquid. The small gap creates a spark, which vaporizes small particles of the work piece
as the wire advances. The disintegrated particles are flushed away by dielectric fluid, and
the wire is able to advance further. The wire itself is traveling – advancing from a large
spool, and after use as an electrode, into a spent wire bin. The travel of the wire is
determined by the machine’s computer program.
Figure 1.13 Wire EDM transport system.
The complexities of the wire transport system as shown in Figure 1.13

and automatic wire threader (AWT) both have a direct impact on performance. Since
the wire used in the wire EDM is small and flexible, no more than two times larger than
a human hair, threading reliably over long periods of time without extensive
maintenance has been perceived as a problem. However, the most important feature of
a wire EDM machine, in terms of real profitability to the end user, is the AWT-a
reliable AWT system can add many hours of available machine time every week,
27
month and year. The AWT makes it possible to schedule work more efficiently on
the wire EDM machine based upon the importance rather than the length-time-of cut.
Most AWTs use a high-pressure water jet as the main wire transport system between
the upper and lower guides. The entire transport system must be maintained according
to the manufacturer's recommendations. Wire guide types, the complexity of the jet, the
cutting system, drive pulleys and tensioning all have an impact on reliability and
performance. When it becomes possible, depending upon type of application, to
operate in an unattended environment overnights, weekends and holidays, it is realistic
to gain hundreds of machining hours per year. In fact, a highly reliable machining
system, operating on a continuing basis will outperform a less reliable system cutting at
high speed. Failure to properly maintain this valuable machine feature will affect
production.
1.17Materials that WEDM can cut:
 Carbide
Tungsten carbide, third in hardness to diamond and boron carbide, is an

extremely difficult material to machine. Except for diamond cutting tools and
diamond-impregnated grinding wheels, EDM presents the only practical method to
machine this hardened material. To bind tungsten carbide when it is sintered, cobalt
is added. The amount of cobalt, from 6% to 15%, determines the hardness and
toughness of the carbide. The electrical conductivity of cobalt exceeds that of tungsten,
so EDM erodes the cobalt binder in tungsten carbide. The carbide granules fall out of the
compound during cutting, so the amount of cobalt binder determines the wire EDM
speed, and the energy applied during the cutting determines the depth of binder that is
removed.
When cutting carbide on certain wire EDM machines, the initial first cut can
cause surface micro-cracks. To eliminate them, skim cuts are used. However, at our
company, we have repeatedly cut carbide parts with a single cut. When precision carbide
parts are needed, skim cuts are used.
28
Some older wire EDM machines used capacitors. Since these machines
applied more energy into the cut, there was a greater danger for surface micro-cracking.
Then DC power supply machines without capacitors were introduced, and this helped in
producing less surface damage when cutting carbide.Today, many machines come
equipped with AC power supplies. These machines are especially beneficial when cutting
carbide in that they produce smaller heat-affected zones and cause less cobalt depletion
than DC power-supplied machines.
To eliminate any danger from micro-cracking and to produce the best

surface edge for stamping, it is a good practice to use sufficient skim cuts when EDMing
high-precision blanking carbide dies. Studies show that careful skimming greatly
improves carbide surface quality. Durability tests prove that an initial fast cut and fast
skimming cuts produce very accurate high performance dies.
 Polycrystalline diamond
The introduction of polycrystalline diamond (PCD) on a tungsten carbide

substrate has greatly increased cutting efficiency. PCD is a man-made diamond crystal
that is sintered with cobalt at very high temperatures and under great pressure. The
tungsten substrate provides support for the thin diamond layer.The cobalt in PCD does
not act as a binder, but rather as a catalyst for the diamond crystals. In addition, the
electrical conductivity of the cobalt allows PCD to be EDMed. When PCD is EDMed,
only the cobalt between the diamonds crystals is being EDMed.EDMing PCD, like
EDMing carbide, is much slower than cutting steel. Cutting speed for PCD depends
upon the amount of cobalt that has been sintered with the diamond crystals and the
particle size of PCD. Large particles of PCD require very high open voltage for it to be
cut. Also, some power supplies cut PCD better than others.
 Ceramics
Ceramics are poor conductors of electricity. However, certain ceramics are

formulated to be cut with wire EDM.
29
1.18 Cost Savings with WEDM
There are twelve Criteria for Using Wire EDM in Production Applications:
 Hard materials - The foremost benefit of wire EDM technology is its ability to cut
hard material. The hardness of the material to be cut does not affect the EDM's
speed or ability to cut it. Wire cutting can be performed on parts with finished
dimensions after heat treating with no additional cost. Typical applications: large
series production molds, jigs, fixtures, form tools, knives.
 Exotic Metals- Wire EDM process can cut any material that conducts electricity,
including Carbide, Inconel, Titanium, Hastelloy, and many others. Typical
applications: carbide knives and wear surfaces, Inconel molds, titanium high
performance parts.
 Stacking Plates- We can stack thin plates of a specific material and get multiple
pieces with a single cut. Typical applications: custom collet wrenches, flat gears,
copper shims.
 Speed of EDM Delivery - Production Wire EDM delivery is very rapid as it
usually requires little or no tooling or fixturing. Typical applications: medical and
dental prototypes, prototype gears, prototypes for molded parts.
 Racking of Parts- Wire EDM machining allows us to rack parts: this technique is
used when only a particular portion of the work piece needs a complex geometry
wire cut into or through it.
 Raw Materials - Wire EDM saves time and money by making possible the use of
raw materials straight from the mill. Bar stock, round stock and plates can all
used with little added processing. A job that would normally require
sawing,squaring and milling of stacked plates can be accomplished in much
fewer operations with a wire EDM.
 Complex Geometries- Wire EDM is especially beneficial when shapes such as
gears, splines, and long thin slots are required. Any operation requiring such
geometries is an excellent candidate for wire EDM.
 Internal Contours– Pipes, gears, pultrusion molds all benefit from wire EDM.
 Design flexibility- Since programs are easily adjusted, prototypes and single parts
30
are extremely well suited for Wire EDM machining. A part is manufactured very
easily since no hard tooling is involved. Changes to part design can be handled
simply and quickly.
 CNC 5 Axis Wire Cutting Capability- Complex three dimensional programming
systems enable EDM machines to independently control the top and bottom contour
when wire cutting CNC 5 axis wire. Other applications: tapered pins for molds,
extrusion molds.
 Burr Free- Wire EDM eliminates secondary deburring operations, reducing the
number of steps required to complete each part. Applications: go/no go gauges,
custom tool inserts.
 Splines- Wire EDM allows us to cut splines that would not be possible to cut with
mechanical tools. We can make sharp angles with a radius as small as the diameter
of the wire. Applications: machine tools with disposable blades also cut with a
wire EDM.
31
CHAPTER2
LITERATURE SURVEY
2.1 Introduction
The tremendous advancements in EDM technology have been achieved

through the collective efforts of many dedicated engineers employed by the major
EDM builders and by researchers from some of the world’s leading institutions and
research centers. An overview of the research studies and developments of these
institutions and the activities of professional societies and other organizations
throughout the world that are contributing to the continued advancements of
Electrical Discharge Machining is discussed here.
Although once considered a “nontraditional” machining process, EDM

has been widely used in the areas of drilling, milling, grinding and other traditional
machining operations in many industries throughout the world. Since its early days
as a “tap busting” method over 50 years ago, EDM has developed into one of the
most advanced machining technologies. Today’s EDM equipment uses advanced
Computer Numerical Control (CNC) with up to six-axes simultaneous operation and
state of-the-art power supply technology, which can produce a mirror surface finish
and “split-tenth” accuracy.
2.2 Contributions of various researchers around the world
A wire EDM generates spark discharges between a small wire electrode

and a work piece with de-ionized water as the dielectric medium and erodes the work
piece to produce complex two and three dimensional shapes according to a
numerically controlled (NC) path. As discussed by Guitrau et al (1991) the main
goals of WEDM manufacturers and users are to achieve a better stability and higher
32
productivity of the WEDM process. As newer and more exotic materials are
developed, and more complex shapes are presented, conventional machining
operations tend to reach their limitations and the increased use of the WEDM in
manufacturing will continue to grow at an accelerated rate.
Investigations into the influences of machining input parameters on the

performance of WEDM have been widely reported by Rajurkar et al (1989), Sone et
al (1991), Matsuo et al (1992),and Soni et al (1994). Several attempts have been
made to develop mathematical model of the process by Scott et al (1991), Indurkhya
et al (1992), and Rajurkar et al (1993). In these reports, productivity of the process
and the surface roughness of the machined work piece are used as measures of the
process performance.
Lee et al (2001) concentrated on effects of process parameters in EDM

using tungsten carbide as work material. Hocheng et al. (1997) investigated the
correlation between current and spark on-time with the crater size produced by a
single spark of Sic/Al work materials. Qu et al. (2002) have concentrated on the
effect of spark on time.Y. S. Liao, et al (1996),Mustafa lhan Gökler et al (2003) and
Nishat Tosun et al (2004) investigated effects of cutting parameters on surface
roughness by considering only a typical steel material.
Study of wire electrical discharge machined surface characteristics byR.

E. Williams et al (1991) emphasizes on the study of surface roughness profiles.
Surface roughness profiles were studied with a stochastic modeling and analysis
methodology to better understand the process mechanism.
WEDM is a relatively new machining process with distinct advantages

over conventional milling and other metal-removal processes.In WEDM the
production of complex and intricate shapes can be aided greatly, with additional
manipulation facilities for the workpiece and/or the cutting tool. For smaller bore
dies, an initial circular hole may be machined easily by laser or by traditional drilling
methods. The difficulty arises when an attempt is made to machine this initial hole to
33
match a non-circular shape which may contain splines in 3-dimensional

space.Currently WEDM machines with an integral control system are available
commercially. However, these machines are very expensive.Availability of a micro-
computer controlled specimen manipulator with greater versatility that is
independent of the machine itself would be advantageous and such a manipulator
would be significantly cheaper.M. T. Bhatti et al (1992) have worked towards design
and interfacing of such a manipulator.
A finite-difference thermal model to predict the temperature distribution

along the wire for the wire-EDM process in the zone of the discharge channel is
proposed by S. Banerjee et al (1993).
Owing to the complexity of wire electrical discharge machining (wire-

EDM), it is very difficult to determine optimal cutting parameters for improving
cutting performance. The paper by Y.S.Tarng (1995) utilizes a feed forward neural
network to associate the cutting parameters with the cutting performance
The material removal mechanism in wire electrical discharge machining

of an alumina particulate reinforced aluminum based composite and the related
machined surface morphologies have been investigated by T. M. Yue et al (1996).
A suitable selection of machining parameters for the wire electrical

discharge machining (WEDM) process relies heavily on the operators' technologies
and experience because of their numerous and diverse range. Machining-parameters
tables provided by the machine-tool builder can not meet the operators' requirements,
since for an arbitrary desired roughness of the machining surface; they do not
provide the optimal machining conditions. Y. S. Liao et al (1997) have tried to
determine parameters setting in WEDM.
J Prohaszka et al (1997) have reported in their paper about the

requirements of the materials used for WEDM electrodes that will lead to
34
the improvement of WEDM performance.Experiments have been conducted

regarding the choice of some suitable wire electrode materials and the
influence of the properties of these materials on the machinability in machining
some selected materials in WEDM has been studied.T. A. Spedding et al (1997) have
worked onparametric optimization and surface characterization of wire electrical
discharge machining process.
W. J. Hsue et al (1999) have studied fundamental geometry properties of

wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) process in corner cutting. R. Konda et
al (1999) proposed a strategy to apply the Design of experiments to study and
optimize the performance of a process. They have used experimental design
technique to study the performance of a wire electrical discharge machining process
for machining beryllium copper alloys.
M. T. Yan et al (2001) have worked on, On-line Estimation of Workpiece

Height by Using Neural Networks and Hierarchical Adaptive Control of WEDM.
Theyhave developed an adaptive control system that maintains optimal machining
and improves the stability of machining at the stair section where workpiece
thickness changes. Chin-Teng Lin et al (2001) have developed a control strategy
based on fuzzy logic so that the machining accuracy at corner parts for wire-EDM
can be improved. Masanori Kunieda et al (2001) and Furudate Chika et al (2001)
have worked on the development of a new dry wire electrical discharge machining
(dry-WEDM) method, which is conducted in a gas atmosphere without using
dielectric liquid to improve the accuracy of finish cutting.Chika Furudate et al (2001)
in their paper describe the first attempt to conduct rough-cutting with dry wire
electrical discharge machining (dry-WEDM).
Resultsof applying the wire Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM)

process togenerate precise cylindrical forms on hard, difficult-to-machine materials
are presented by Jun Qu et al (2002).Jun Qu et al (2002a) have made a paper on
Development of the Cylindrical Wire Electrical Discharge Machining Process.
35
Thisstudy investigates the surface integrity and roundness of parts createdby the
cylindrical wire EDM process.
Y. S. Liao et al (2002) have used a feed-forward neural network to

estimate the workpiece height and distinguish the machining condition in wire
electrical discharge machining (WEDM).Fuzhu Han et al (2002) in their paper
describe the development of a simulation method for WEDM which can accurately
reproduce the discharge phenomena of WEDM on computer. The simulation process
consists of searching for discharge locations, removing the workpiece and analyzing
wire vibration. Since unclarified parameters such as ignition delay time, explosive
force, damping coefficient, and permittivity of dielectric in simulation are difficult to
measure from experiments, they have devised an approach to obtain the same by
solving the reverse problem using parametric programming.
The effect of the cutting parameters on performance of WEDM has been

recorded in the paper by Tosun Nihat (2003).In this study, they have made an
attempt to investigate experimentally variations of cutting performance with pulse
time, open circuit voltage, wire speed and dielectric fluid pressure. Brass wire with
0.25 mm diameter and AISI 4140 steel with 10 mm thickness were used as tool and
work materials in the experiments. B. Puriat al (2003) have done an study of the wire
lag phenomenon in Wire-cut Electrical Discharge Machining (WEDM).The trend of
variation of the geometrical inaccuracy caused due to wire lag with various machine
control parameters has been established in this paper.
The variation of workpiece surface roughness with varying pulse

duration, open circuit voltage, wire speed and dielectric fluid pressure has been
experimentally investigated in Wire Electrical Discharge Machining (WEDM) by N.
Tosun et al (2003) . Brass wire with 0.25 mm diameter and SAE 4140 steel with 10
mm thickness were used as tool and workpiece materials in the experiments,
respectively. N Tosun et al (2003a)(2003b) have studied experimentally the effects
of machining parameters on the wire wear, on the size of erosion craters on the wire
36
and on the workpiece surface roughness in wire electrical discharge machining

(WEDM). An attempt was made to correlate the crater volume and the pulse energy.
A tiny hollow space on the interface between the approach and the
machining path may cause critical damage during superfine machining by wire-cut
electrical discharge machine (WEDM). The paper by Tatsushi Sato et al (2003)
points out that this space is caused by the reduction of the machined volume near the
approach point. To resolve this problem,they have proposed a compensation method
for the mark using off time control based on the machining volume model.
The relationship between machining parameters and machining

characteristics of different materials in WEDM is difficult to obtain because a large
number of experiments must be conducted repeatedly. A new concept attempting to
solve this problem is presented in the paper by Y. S. Liao et al(2004). The specific
discharge energy (SDE) defining as the real energy required removing a unit volume
of material is proposed. The SDE is constant for a specific material.
Tapering process of WEDM, which can generate curved surfaces on

workpiece, is a very unique ability of this machining process. Albert Wen-Jeng Hsue
et al’s (2004) report is dedicated to the removal analysis of tapering WEDM and to
the improvement of contouring accuracy in application to conjugate surfaces.
Jose Antonio Sanchez et al (2004) have worked on development of

aComputer-aided system for the optimization of the accuracy of the wire electro-
discharge machining process. In this work, a hybrid computer-integrated system for
the improvement of the accuracy of corner cutting that combines experimental
knowledge of the process and numerical simulation is described.
An electrical discharge machining (EDM) method of insulating ceramics

was proposed by Takayuki Tani et al (2004). This paper describes the arbitrary shape
machining method of Si3N4 insulating ceramics by WEDM. In the WEDM of thick
workpieces of Si3N4 insulating ceramics, wire breakages occurred frequently. To
37
avoid the breakage conditions, a new assisting electrode material was used. Using
this method, a thin ceramics sheet was hollowed out of Si3N4 ceramics without
breakages. Takayuki Tani et al (2004) have described an arbitrary shape machining
method of Si3N4 insulating ceramics by WEDM. In the WEDM of thick workpieces
of Si3N4 insulating ceramics, wire breakages occurred frequently. To avoid the
breakage conditions, a new assisting electrode material was used. Using this method,
a thin ceramics sheet was hollowed out of Si3N4 ceramics without breakages.
C. A. Huang et al (2004) have subjected quenched and tempered

martensitic stainless steels, AISI 440A to multi-cutting passes by wire electrical
discharge machining (WEDM).Ahmet Hascalyk et al (2004) present in their work an
experimental investigation of the machining characteristics of AISI D5 tool steel in
wire electrical discharge machining process. A relationship between the dynamics of
the wire electrode and the state of the art in wire electrical discharge machining
(WEDM) control is established through wire modeling by Friedhelm Altpeter et al
(2004), listing the control issues related to WEDM and providing a catalogue of
corresponding solutions. The results are to be used for identifying promising R&D
directions in terms of customer convenience, and set up cost reduction by an
improved process mastering.
One of the most important problems in wire electrical discharge

machining is related to wire breakage. S. Saha et al (2004) have tried to develop a
simple finite element model and a new approach to predict the thermal distribution in
the wire fairly accurately. Titanium and titanium alloys (e.g., Ti6Al4V) are
increasingly used in aerospace and automotive industries, and also used as medical
implant material in wide variety of applications. Wire-electro discharge machining
(WEDM) is an important non-traditional machining process, widely used for
machining a variety of difficult-to-machine materials including titanium alloys with
intricate shapes. Shajan Kuriakose et al (2004) have worked on studying
characteristics of wire-electro discharge machined Ti6Al4V surface.
38
Over the years, the WEDM process has remained as a competitive and
economical machining option fulfilling the demanding machining requirements
imposed by the short product development cycles and the growing cost pressures.
However, the risk of wire breakage and bending has undermined the full potential of
the process drastically reducing the efficiency and accuracy of the WEDM operation.
A significant amount of research has explored the different methodologies of
achieving the ultimate WEDM goals of optimizing the numerous process parameters
analytically with the total elimination of the wire breakages thereby also improving
the overall machining reliability. K. H. Ho et al (2004) have reviewed vast array of
research work carried out from the spin-off from the EDM process to the
development of the WEDM. The final part of the paper discusses the possible trends
for future WEDM research.
The wire electro-discharge machining (WEDM) characteristics of TiNi

shape memory alloys (SMAs) have been investigated by H. C. Lin et al (2005). The
maximum feeding rate without breakage of wire electrode increases with increasing
pulse duration for the TiNi SMAs. Electro-discharge craters and re-cast materials are
observed in the wire electro-discharge machining (WEDM) surface of Fe–30Mn–6Si
and Fe–30Mn–6Si–5Cr shape memory alloys by H.C. Lin et al (2005a).
S. Sarkaret al’s (2005) paper presents an investigation on wire electrical

discharge machining of γ-titanium aluminide alloy. N. Özdemiret al(2005) have
investigated in their study, the machinability of standard GGG40 nodular cast iron by
WEDM using different parameters (machining voltage, current, wire speed, and
pulse duration) .In the work by Shajan Kuriakose et al (2005), a multiple regression
model is used to represent relationship between input and output variables and a
multi-objective optimization method based on a Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic
Algorithm (NSGA) is used to optimize Wire-EDM process. A non-dominated
solution set has been obtained and reported.
The right selection of the machining conditions is the most important

aspect to take into consideration in processes related to the WEDM of Inconel 601
39
material. Inconel is one of the recent materials that are developed to be hard, strong
and temperature resistant. Work by M.S. Hewidy et al (2005) highlights the
development of mathematical models for correlating the inter-relationships of
various WEDM machining parameters of Inconel 601 material such as: peak current,
duty factor, wire tension and water pressure on the metal removal rate, wear ratio and
surface roughness.
Alumina particle reinforced 6061 aluminum matrix composites

(Al2O3p/6061Al) have excellent physical and chemical properties than those of a
traditional metal; however, their poor machinability lead to worse surface quality and
serious cutting tool wear. Biing Hwa Yan et al(2005)in their study have adopted,
wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) in machining Al2O3p/6061Al
composite. Inorder to raise the productivity and precision of Numeric Control-
WireCut Electric Discharge Machining with High Speed (NC-WEDM-HS) system
oftwo turning coordinates, the basic idea of simulation of themachining process of
this machining system was introduced. The characteristicsand general laws of cutting
complex curved surfaces by theNC-WEDM-HS system of two turning coordinates
were systematically analyzed by Fujun Ren et al (2005).
Alumina particle reinforced 6061 aluminum matrix composites

(Al2O3p/6061Al) have excellent physical and chemical properties than those of a
traditional metal; however, their poor machinability lead to worse surface quality and
serious cutting tool wear. Biing Hwa Yan et al(2005)in their study have adopted,
wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) in machining Al2O3p/6061Al
composite. Yamauchi Toshiyuki et al (2005)have developed a new coating wire
electrode for a high-performance wire EDM instead of conventional wires. The
effects of coating materials on the fundamental machining characteristics are
investigated to obtain the optimum structure, using a high-tensile steel wire coated
with brass and zinc whose diameter is 200.MU.m. The experimental results showed
that the removal rate increased with the thickness of the coated brass on the steel
wire in WEDM with the brass and zinc coated steel wire.
40
J. A. Sanchez et al (2006) in their paper on Computer simulation of

wire-EDM taper-cutting have presented a computer simulation software for the
analysis of error in wire EDM taper-cutting .R. Ramakrishnan et al (2006) have
presented in their paper a multi response optimization method using Taguchi’s robust
design for wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) operations. Ko-Ta Chiang et
al(2006) in their paper presents an effective approach for the optimization of the wire
electric discharge machining (WEDM) process of Al2O3 particle-reinforced material
(6061 alloy) with multiple performance characteristics based on the grey relational
analysis.Taha Ali El-Taweel et al’s (2006) paper presents an investigation on the
effect and optimization of machining parameters on the Metal Removal Rate and
Surface Roughness (SR) in the Wire Electrical Discharge Machining (WEDM)
process of Al-Cu-TiC-Si P/M composite.
S S Mahapatra et al(2006) have carried out an experimental study on a

Robofil 100 WEDM machine to identify various significant control factors and their
interactions that affect the machining performance such as metal removal rate (MRR)
and surface finish (SF) based on Taguchi method. Finally, genetic algorithm, a
popular evolutionary approach, is used to optimize the wire electrical discharge
machining process with multiple objectives. N.G. Patil et al (2006) have used Wire
Electro-Discharge Machining (WEDM) for machining Metal Matrix Composites
(MMCs). In this study, the effect of various control parameters such as pulse on-
time, off-time, ignition pulse current, wire speed, wire tension and flushing pressure
on cutting speed and surface finish in WEDM of Al/SiCp has been investigated by
using Taguchi methods. The paper by Nitin K. Lautre et al (2006)presents a binary
relational analysis and expert system base module for maintenance and fault
diagnosis of CNC wire EDM. The module proposes a framework of integrated
maintenance and fault diagnosis system.
Machining parameters tables provided by the machine tool manufacturers

often do not meet the operator requirements and sometimes even do not provide
efficient guidelines to manufacturing engineers. Hence, a suitable selection of
machining parameters of CNC wire cut electrical discharge machining (EDM)
41
process is necessary. A. Manna et al (2006) present a reliable set of parameters that

demonstrate versatility, and numerous and diverse range based on experience and
technology. An experimental investigation to determine the parameters setting during
the machining of aluminium-reinforced silicon carbide metal matrix composite
(Al/SiC-MMC) is done. TsingHua et al (2006),in order to understand the mechanism
of WEDM and find out the influence of machining parameters on the accuracy, a
simulation system for WEDM is developed., which can accurately reproduce the
discharge phenomena of WEDM machining on computer through searching for the
discharge location, removing the workpiece and analyzing wire vibration.
A study on the corner geometry generated by the successive cuts

(roughing and finishing) is presented by J.A.Sanchez et al (2007). Errors at different
zones of the corner are identified and related to the material removed during each
cut. In finish machining of wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM), the
discharge current has distinct influences on the machined surface. In order to study
the differences in surface morphology under various pulse durations, Fuzhu Han et
al(2007) have carried out thermo-analysis to investigate the mechanism of erosion of
the workpiece material using the finite element method.
Surface roughness is significant to the finish cut of wire electrical

discharge machining (WEDM). The paper by Han, Fuzhu et al (2007) describes the
influence of the machining parameters (including pulse duration, discharge current,
sustained pulse time, pulse interval time, polarity effect, material and dielectric) on
surface roughness in the finish cut of WEDM. Experiments proved that the surface
roughness can be improved by decreasing both pulse duration and discharge current.
A. K. Dokania et al (2008) have used wire electrical discharge machining

for the fabrication of miniaturized Schottky emitter.The Schottky emitter is
extensively used in scanning electron beam lithography machines because of its high
brightness and stable current. Susanta Kumar Gauri et al(2008) in their paper have
attempted using weighted principal component (WPC) method to optimize the
42
multiple responses of WEDM processes. The results show that the WPC method
offers significantly better overall quality than the other approaches.
Aminollah Mohammadi et al (2008) have investigated , the effects and

the optimization of machining parameters on surface roughness and roundness in the
turning wire electrical discharge machining (TWEDM) process.D.K. Aspinwall at al
(2008) following a brief review of EDM and its use on advanced aerospace alloys
including workpiece integrity constraints, have presented data after machining Ti–
6Al–4V and Inconel 718.
One of the main challenges in wire electrical discharge machining

(WEDM) is avoiding wire breakage and unstable situations as both phenomena
reduce process performance and can cause low quality components. The work I.
Cabanes et al (2008) proposes a methodology that guarantees an early detection of
instability that can be used to avoid the detrimental effects associated to both
unstable machining and wire breakage. The proposed methodology establishes the
procedures to follow in order to understand the causes of wire breakage and
instability.
Wire electro-discharge machining (WEDM) is a fully extended and

competitive machining process widely used to produce dies and moulds. However,
the risk of wire breakage affects adversely the full potential of WEDM since the
overall process efficiency is considerably reduced. The paper by I. Cabanes et al
(2008a) discusses the results of the analyses of an exhaustive experimental database
that reproduces unexpected disturbances that may appear during normal operation.
The results of the analyses reveal new symptoms that allow one to predict wire
breakage.
O. Dodun et al (2008) in their paper have analyzed the magnitudes of the

corners’ radii and the corner’s angles that are formed between adjoining surfaces
during WEDM machining. Some experimental research work carried out unveiled
43
the systematic occurrence of machining errors when WEDM is used to obtain outside
sharp corners, especially in small thickness workpieces.
The Schottky emitter is extensively used in scanning electron beam

lithography machines because of its high brightness and stable current. For its use in
parallel electron beam lithography to increase the throughput, A.K. Dokania et al
(2008) have investigated the possibility of creating an array of miniaturized Schottky
emitters. This paper discusses a novel method of fabricating a miniaturized Schottky
emitter of 1 mm diameter by wire-electro discharge machining (WEDM).
Wire temperature is an important parameter in the wire electro-discharge

machining (WEDM) process because overheating of the wire can cause the wire to
break. It is difficult, however, to measure the wire temperature directly under the
condition that the wire is emerged in water and surrounded by the workpiece. Only
mathematical analyses by now have been reported to determine such temperature but
limited by the assumption of convective heat transfer coefficient and the percentage
of energy distribution. Based on the relationship between the wire temperature and
the value of its resistance, the paper by Fuzhu Han et al (2008)proposes a measuring
system that has been developed to experimentally track and record the average
temperature increment of the wire electrode for the WEDM process. Sadiq M. Alam
et al (2008) have made attempts in their work to identify the major issues of micro-
WEDM technology and how they can be addressed for efficient microfabrication
applications.
From the survey of the literature, it is observed that some study of

working of WEDM process, different process variables and cutting of few work
materials are discussed by various researchers. But the present work highlights the
kind of surface texture that can be achieved on some of the commonly used difficult
to machine materials and application materials like EN8, EN31, HCHC and P20, by
optimizing important process parameters, Material Removal Rate (MRR), Cutting
Speed, Tool life, Productive utilization of the tool wire, formation of recast layers
44
and kerf width analysis by analyzing WEDM process and its governing parameters
during process.
From the literature survey,it was also learnt that a study on machining
characteristics of non ferrous materials, a comparative analysis of ferrous and non
ferrous materials is not available hence analysis is made by considering most widely
used ferrous and non ferrous materials in industry and tool rooms. The analysis also
focus on the tool wire,its selection for a particular application and effective
utilization by adopting proper parameter combination during machining,performance
evaluation of various tool wires in cutting different materials considered as this
would give a significant data for identifying proper process parameter selection for
various applications in machining the commonly used work materials.
45
CHAPTER 3
OBJECTIVE OF THE PRESENT WORK
3.1 Present Work
On careful analysis and observation of kind of material used for various

applications in tool rooms, the most widely used materials were chosen for WEDM
analysis. The selection also finds its significance as very limited data is available on
these kinds of materials. Hence, investigations were carried out to study the effect of
main controlling process parameters and to find out optimization condition of
machining and its impact on the process parameters like surface roughness produced
while machining difficult to machine materials and application materials like EN8,
EN31, HCHC and P20. It was also observed from the literature survey that
acomparative analysis of machining ferrous and non ferrous materials by WEDM is
also not available.Widely used non ferrous materials in various automobile and
aeronautical applications like Brass,Copper and Aluminum are considered for
WEDM study to have subjective knowledge of kind of surface roughness produced ,
hence analysis has been done by considering both ferrous and non ferrous materials.
From the survey of the literature on the earlier work, it is observed that
some details of working of WEDM process, different process variables and cutting of
selected few work materials are discussed. But the present work highlights the kind
of surface texture that can be achieved, optimizing important process parameters,
Material Removal Rate (MRR), Cutting Speed, Tool life, Productive utilization of
the tool, formation of recast layers, kerf width analysis on some of the commonly
used tool steels in tool rooms for industrial applications by analyzing WEDM
46
process and its governing parameters during process. This is an important study as it
controls the MRR, surface integrity and other controlling parameters of the process.
The analysis also deals with studying performance of wire electrodes

under varied machining conditions, machining different materials considered at
different working conditions like Cutting Voltage, Intensity of the machining pulse
and studying the effect of this on the quality of the surface obtained.
A detailed analysis is done of various factors to be considered in

selection of wire electrodes, reducing the wear rate, factors leading to failure of wire
electrode during machining by analyzingMRR, Surface Roughness and Metallurgical
Evaluation.
3.2 Stages of Experimental Study
The experimental study was carried out in the following stages:

 Extensive machining on ferrous specimens such as En8, En31, and HCHC was
carried out for set machining conditions, Non-Ferrous materials like Brass;
Copper & Aluminum specimens were also considered to get a comparative
analysis.
 En8, En31, HCHC specimens are machined for different machining conditions,
tostudy their effect on the surfacefinish produced. Based on the experimental
values obtained, a Regression model is developed for predicting surface
roughness.
 En8, En31, HCHC specimens are machined for different machining conditions.
For different intervals of machining impulse, kerf is made on the specimen for a
fixed length. These specimens are checked for the profiles generated using tool
makers microscope, micrographs are taken to study the nature of kerf profile
generated during cutting. MRR for all the specimens at different intervals of
machining pulse are calculated. This study deals with machining specimens at
different working conditions to study their effect on the MRR and the kerf width.
The surface roughness obtained at different working conditions is also measured.
47
 En8, En31, HCHC specimens are machined for different machining conditionto
study the power consumption for different materials considered.
 HCHC (High carbon high chromium steel) & P20 (Pre hardened steel) of
different thickness were machined and surface roughness values of the specimens
were measured in order to find the effects of cutting parameters on surface
roughness in the WEDM process.
 HCHC specimens of two different thicknesses are machined to study the effect of
wire tension, wire advancement, thickness of the job on cutting speed, surface
roughness and wire consumption without wire breakage.
 Analyzing Wire Failure: The mechanical behavior of the wire in WEDM is
extremely complicated in nature. This is because the magnitude and directions of
various forces acting upon the wire are not always constant as the occurrence of
sparks is highly stochastic in nature.Ferrous specimens of HCHC material are
machined and extensive machining was carried out for set machining conditions
to study the behavior & performance of wire electrode under varied conditions of
machining.
 In WEDM the transportation of tool material on to the work material has been
observed. Three distinctive layers can be identified, the outermost layer, an
intermediate layer and the unaffected parent metal. When etched with nital
solution and viewed under an optical microscope, the outermost layer which is
white calledwhite layer is observed. White layer depth while machining En8 and
En31 are analyzed.
 HCHC specimens of uniform sizes are machined for set machining conditions to
study the effect of various gap sizes on the surface characteristic of the machined
surface.
 Design of Experiments: Optimization of process parameters is done by using
Design of Experiments technique for obtaining uniform kerf and MRR.
48
CHAPTER4
EXPERIMENTAL WORK
4.1 WEDM Machine Tool:
Machining has been done on Fanuc Robocut α-c WEDM Machine.Fanuc

Robocut α-c is a versatile computer Numerically controlled machine provided with
latest Fanuc CNC controller capable of coordinating work table movements in two
independent axis namely X and Y axis. Additional tool path simulation facility
provided with the controller helps in bringing proper interaction between the tool
(wire electrode) and the workpiece. Figure 4.1 shows the WEDM machine used for
experimentation and Figure 4.2 shows detailed schematic view of WEDM setup and
Figure 4.3 illustrates WEDM machining of the specimen.
Figure 4.1 Fanuc Robocut α-c WEDM Machine

49
Figure4.2 Schematic Diagram of WEDM
Figure4.3 WEDM machining of the specimen.

50
4.2 Machine Specifications
Table 4.1 Specifications of Fanuc Robocut α-c WEDM Machine

Sl Particulars From To
650×450×180 790×730×400
Max Dimension of work (submerged type) (submerged type)
1
piece 680×420×180 830×810×300
(Flushing type) (Flushing type)
500 Kg 1000 Kg
(submerged type) (submerged type)
2 Max work piece weight
500 Kg 1000 Kg
(Flushing type) (Flushing type)
3 Table stroke 320×220×180 mm 520×370×310 mm
4 Max taper angle ±300/80mm ±450/40mm
5 Max table feed rate 0 mm/min 900 mm/min
6 Wire diameter 0.1 mm 0.3 mm
7 Wire tension 250 gms 2500 gms
8 Wire feed rate 0 m/min 15 m/min
Minimum table travel
9 0.0001 mm
(resolution)
10 Wire guide clearance 5µm
Dielectric Fluid Unit
11 Dielectric fluid De-mineralized water
12 Tank capacity 390 Ltr 530 Ltr
13 Filtering flow rate 60 Ltr/min 75 Ltr/min
14 Filtering precision 2µm 10µm
15 Ion exchange resin 10 Ltr×1 10 Ltr×2
Dielectric fluid
16 1.0×104 Ώcm 2.0×104 Ώcm
resistivity control
17 External dimension, mm 1180×940×1100 980×1400×1100
Numerical Control Unit
18 Controlled axes X,Y,U,V&Z
Simultaneously
19 X,Y,U&V
controlled axes
20 Least input increment 0.0001mm
21 Interpolations Linear and circular
22 Position command Relative and absolute
23 Display unit 10.4 inch color LCD
24 Program storage 0 3500
Rapid traverse feed rate = 900mm/min
25 Feed rate Cutting feed rate = 0.0001 to 50mm/min
Manual feed rate = 100 to 300mm/min
51
4.3 Configuration of wire cut EDM
The WEDM machine uses thin running wire as an electrode and cuts a work
piece placed on the XY table with electric discharge. The XY table is controlled by
the CNC unit. Figure 4.4 shows the configuration of the Wire cut EDM.
Figure 4.4 Configuration of WEDM
There are four main units of WEDM they are:
 Machine main unit

 Numerical control unit
 Power supply unit
 Dielectric fluid unit &
 Dielectric fluid cooling unit
Machine main unit is also known as machine tool where the actual work
takes place. Work piece machining is carried out in this unit. Second unit is
numerical control unit which is mainly responsible for all the movement of the work
table and other motions of the machining unit. Power supply unit provides the power
in the controlled manner for the servo motors, sparking unit and other units.
Dielectric fluid unit mainly consists of two side by side tanks where one consists of
the impure water and other tank to collect the water after the purification, from this
tank the dielectric is supplied to the work table tank.
52
4.4 EDX Analysis
EDX Analysis stands for Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis. It is

sometimes referred to also as EDS or EDAX analysis. It is a technique used for
identifying the elemental composition of the specimen, or an area of interest thereof.
The EDX analysis system works as an integrated feature of a Scanning Electron
Microscope (SEM), and can not operate on its own without the latter.
During EDX Analysis, the specimen is bombarded with an electron beam

inside the scanning electron microscope. The bombarding electrons collide with the
specimen atoms' own electrons, knocking some of them off in the process. A position
vacated by an ejected inner shell electron is eventually occupied by a higher-energy
electron from an outer shell. To be able to do so, however, the transferring outer
electron must give up some of its energy by emitting an X-ray. (Dr.B.J.Ranganath,
1999)
The amount of energy released by the transferring electron depends on

which shell it is transferring from, as well as which shell it is transferring to.
Furthermore, the atom of every element releases X-rays with unique amounts of
energy during the transferring process. Thus, by measuring the amounts of energy
present in the X-rays being released by a specimen during electron beam
bombardment, the identity of the atom from which the X-ray was emitted can be
established.
The output of an EDX analysis is an EDX spectrum (Figure 4.6). The

EDX spectrum is just a plot of how frequently an X-ray is received for each energy
level. An EDX spectrum normally displays peaks corresponding to the energy levels
for which the most X-rays had been received. Each of these peaks is unique to an
atom, and therefore corresponds to a single element. The higher a peak in a spectrum,
the more concentrated the element is in the specimen.
53
An EDX spectrum plot not only identifies the element corresponding to

each of its peaks, but the type of X-ray to which it corresponds as well. For example,
a peak corresponding to the amount of energy possessed by X-rays emitted by an
electron in the L-shell going down to the K-shell is identified as a K-Alpha peak. The
peak corresponding to X-rays emitted by M-shell electrons going to the K-shell is
identified as a K-Beta peak as shown in Figure4.5.
Figure 4.5 Elements in an EDX spectrum
When performing EDX analysis, the following must be observed:

 The probe current must be adjusted such that data collection is just between
10%-30% dead.
 Spot Mode operation must be used for contaminants suspected to be
concentrated in very small regions.
 The EHT level used during the analysis must be higher than the energy peaks
corresponding to the elements of interest.
4.5 Instrument used for EDX analysis:
Link ISIS Oxford Instruments, UK shown in Figure 4.6 is used for EDX
analysis. EDX Analysis stands for Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis. It is a
technique used for identifying the elemental composition of the specimen, or an area
of interest thereof. The EDX analysis system works as an integrated feature of a
Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and can not operate on its own without the
same.
54
During EDX Analysis, the specimen is bombarded with an electron beam

inside the scanning electron microscope. The bombarding electrons collide with the
specimen atoms' own electrons, knocking some of them off in the process. A
position vacated by an ejected inner shell electron is eventually occupied by a
higher-energy electron from an outer shell. To be able to do so, however,
thetransferring outer electron must give up some of its energy by emitting an X-
ray.The amount of energy released by the transferring electron depends on which
shell it is transferring from, as well as which shell it is transferring to. Furthermore,
the atom of every element releases X-rays with unique amounts of energy during the
transferring process. Thus, by measuring the amounts of energy present in the X-
rays being released by a specimen during electron beam bombardment, the identity
of the atom from which the X-ray was emitted can be established.
The output of an EDX analysis is an EDX spectrum. The EDX spectrum

is just a plot of how frequently an X-ray is received for each energy level. An EDX
spectrum normally displays peaks corresponding to the energy levels for which the
most X-rays had been received. Each of these peaks is unique to an atom, and
therefore corresponds to a single element. The higher a peak in a spectrum, the more
concentrated the element is in the specimen.
Figure 4.6Link ISIS Oxford Instruments, UK

55
4.6 Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)
Scanning electron microscopy is used for inspecting topographies of

specimens at very high magnifications using a piece of equipment called the
scanning electron microscope. SEM magnifications can go to more than 300,000 X
but most semiconductor manufacturing applications require magnifications of less
than 3,000 X only. SEM inspection is often used in the analysis of die/package
cracks and fracture surfaces, bond failures, and physical defects on the die or
package surface.
During SEM inspection, a beam of electrons is focused on a spot volume

of the specimen, resulting in the transfer of energy to the spot. These bombarding
electrons, also referred to as primary electrons, dislodge electrons from the specimen
itself. The dislodged electrons, also known as secondary electrons, are attracted and
collected by a positively biased grid or detector, and then translated into a signal.
To produce the SEM image, the electron beam is swept across the area
being inspected, producing many such signals. These signals are then amplified,
analyzed, and translated into images of the topography being inspected. Finally, the
image is shown on a CRT.
The energy of the primary electrons determines the quantity of secondary

electrons collected during inspection. The emission of secondary electrons from the
specimen increases as the energy of the primary electron beam increases, until a
certain limit is reached. Beyond this limit, the collected secondary electrons diminish
as the energy of the primary beam is increased, because the primary beam is already
activating electrons deep below the surface of the specimen. Electrons coming from
such depths usually recombine before reaching the surface for emission.
Aside from secondary electrons, the primary electron beam results in the
emission of backscattered (or reflected) electrons from the specimen. Backscattered
electrons possess more energy than secondary electrons, and have a definite
56
direction. As such, they can not be collected by a secondary electron detector, unless
the detector is directly in their path of travel. All emissions above 50 eV are
considered to be backscattered electrons.
Backscattered electron imaging is useful in distinguishing one material

from another, since the yield of the collected backscattered electrons increases
monotonically with the specimen's atomic number. Backscatter imaging can
distinguish elements with atomic number differences of at least 3, that is, materials
with atomic number differences of at least 3 would appear with good contrast on the
image. For example, inspecting the remaining Au on an Al bond pad after its Au
ball bond has lifted off would be easier using backscatter imaging, since the Au
islets would stand out from the Al background.
A SEM may be equipped with an EDX analysis system to enable it to

perform compositional analysis on specimens. EDX analysis is useful in identifying
materials and contaminants, as well as estimating their relative concentrations on the
surface of the specimen.
When performing SEM inspection, the following must be observed:
 The EHT must be high enough to provide a good image but low enough to
prevent specimen charging.
 To maximize contrast due to material differences, use as low an EHT as possible.
 If possible, sputter-coat the specimen to prevent specimen charging. Sputter-
coating is considered destructive. Never sputter-coat units that still need to
undergo electrical testing, curve tracing, EDX analysis, inspection, etc.
 The probe current must be set to its default value, unless a higher probe current is
needed to focus the point of interest properly.
57
4.7 Micrographs:
JSM-840A (JEOL, Japan) Scanning Microscopeshown in Figure 4.7 is

used for Micrographs .The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) provides an image
of surfaces and is capable of both high magnification and good depth of field. Unlike
a light microscope, the SEM uses electrons instead of white light to view the
specimen. With the SEM we can magnify over 100,000 times. Rather than seeing
"through and inside" a living organism, as we would with a light microscope, we are
viewing the surface details. SEM images are in black and white only.
In SEM, the electron beam scans across the specimen surface point by
point. The signal collected from each point is used to construct an image on the
display, with the cathode ray tube beam and the column beam following a
synchronized scanning pattern. This means the displayed image is the variation in
detected signal intensity as the column beam is scanned across the sample. The
ultimate performance of the SEM is limited by the beam diameter. The function of
the lenses in the SEM is not to magnify the image, but to demagnify the beam. The
condenser lens reduces the beam diameter. The image is focused by adjusting the
final lens so that the beam has the minimum diameter at the specimen surface. The
magnification is given by the simple relationship between the areas of specimen
scanned relative to the area of displayed image.
Figure 4.7 JSM-840A (JEOL, Japan) Scanning Microscope

58
4.8Surface Roughness measurements:
Mahr Gmbh Perthometer M2 shown in Figure 4.8 is used for Surface

Roughness measurements. The operation of this instrument is based on the well-
proved catalog of functions which enables instrument settings such as measuring
conditions, language, and record contents to be selected very easily. The Perthometer
M2 thus offers a maximum of comfort and flexibility. Measuring range of the
instrument is up to 100 µm.
Figure4.8Mahr Gmbh Perthometer M2
4.9Work Materials used for Experimentation
Most commonly used Steel/Tool Steel materials that were considered for
study are:
 En8 is an unalloyed medium carbon steel with good tensile strength. It is

normally supplied in cold drawn or as rolled. Tensile properties can vary but are
usually between 500-800 N/mm2.
Table 4.2 Typical Analysis of En8
C. Si. Mn. S. P.
0.40% 0.25% 0.80% 0.05% 0.05%
59
 En31 is a high carbon alloy steel which achieves a high degree of hardness with
compressive strength and abrasion resistance.
Table 4.3 Typical Analysis of En31

C. Mn. Cr. Si.
1.00% 0.50% 1.40% 0.20%
 HCHCSpecial steel with high wear resistance and good toughness.

Table 4.4 Typical Analysis of HCHC
C. Si.. Mn Cr. Mo V
1.55% 0.30% 0.40% 12.0%, 0.80% 0.90%
 P20 is a pre hardened high tensile nitriding tool steel which offers ready machine
ability in the hardened and tempered condition
Table 4.5 Typical Analysis of P20
C. Si.. Mn Cr. Mo
0.35% 0.40% 0.80% 1.20% 0.35%
Non ferrous materials that were considered for machining to get an comparative
analysis are:
 Brass : Brass is any alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper
can be varied to create a range of brasses, each of which has unique properties
Table 4.6 Typical Analysis of Brass
Copper Lead, max Iron, max Total impurities, max Zinc

68.5 to 71.0% 0.05% 0.05% 0.03% Reminder
 Aluminiumis an indispensable metal to modern manufacturing. Aluminum is a

very versatile metal with a range of properties that make it: lightweight,strength,
High strength-to-weight ratio,corrosion resistance, electrical conductivity
60
Table 4.7 Typical Analysis of Aluminum

Si Mg Mn Aluminum
8 to 13% 0.17-0.3% 0.250-0.5% Reminder
 Copper is malleable and ductile, a good conductor of heat and, when very pure,
a good conductor of electricity.
Table 4.8 Typical Analysis of Copper

Cu Pb Sn Fe Al Mn Zn Si Ni P
99.85 min - - - - - - - - 0.015-0.04
4.10 Tool Materials used for Experimentation:

Machining was done with following different wire materials of size
0.3 mm diameter:
 Brass Wire
 Coated Brass Wire
 Molybdenum Wire.
Wire-cut EDM has experienced explosive growth; in application,

sophistication of equipment, and in the demands made on the basic tool of the
process, the wire.
Present day demand and need is maximum productivity and throughput,

increased accuracy, and predictable performance. Higher angles of taper, thicker
workpiece, automatic wire threading, and long periods of unattended operation,
make choosing the optimum wire a much more critical factor in achieving a
successful operation.
Machines and job requirements vary greatly, which can make selection of
the correct wire a daunting task. As a result, experimentation with wire types is
necessary if optimum results are to be achieved
61
4.10.1 Material cutting process in WEDM
Essential to selecting and applying wire is an understanding of how the

wire-cut process works shown in Figure.4.9 and Figure 4.10, the workpiece and the
wire represent positive and negative terminals in a DC electrical circuit, and are
always separated by a controlled gap, constantly maintained by the machine. This gap
must always be filled with a dielectric fluid, usually deionized water, which acts
as an insulator and cooling agent. The dielectric fluid flushes away the eroded
particles from the work zone.
Figure.4.9 Machining process in WEDM
Sparks are formed through a sequence of rapid electrical pulses generated

by the machine’s power supply thousands of times per second. Each spark forms an
ionization channel under extremely high heat and pressure, in which particles flow
between the wire electrode and the workpiece, resulting in vaporization of localized
sections.
62
Figure4.10Schematic diagram of WEDM process
The vaporized metallic debris created by this process, from

both the workpiece and wire material, is subsequently quenched and flushed away by
the flow of dielectric fluid through the gap.As the machine advances the wire
through the workpiece, it cuts a slot slightly larger than the wire diameter. Since the
wire is also eroded away and used up in this process, the machine constantly feeds
new wire into the cut as “fresh” electrode material.
The ideal wire electrode material for this process should have three
important criteria: high electrical conductivity; sufficient mechanical strength; and
optimum spark and flush characteristics. There is no “perfect” wire that excels in
every criterion, and some compromises become necessary, depending upon the
desired results and application. And all three factors are very closely related and
interdependent.
4.10.2 The Role of the Wire
The ability of the wire material to enhance spark formation and the
flushing process has become increasingly important with the growing need for both
63
higher productivity and accuracy. It is highly desirable for the wire to erode, or wear,
because the vaporized wire material aids in the formation of subsequent spark
ionization channels. In addition, a higher degree of vaporization into microscopic
particles, rather than melting greatly improves the efficiency of the flushing process
and, by suppressing arcing, the stability of the cut.
These characteristics are enhanced by a wire material whose surface

has a relatively low melting point and high vapor pressure rating .And in fact, these
factors are important enough to sacrifice some degree of conductivity. They also
greatly improve cutting stability and resultant efficiency.As both wire EDM
machines and the science of wire manufacturing have matured, a variety of new
wire materials and types have become available. Each type has its own distinct
characteristics, widely used wire materials are:
 Copper: Although its conductivity rating is excellent, its low tensile

strength, high melting point and low vapor pressure rating severely limit
its potential. Today its practical use is confined to earlier machines with
power supplies designed for copper wire.
 Brass: Brass EDM wire is a combination of copper and zinc, typically

alloyed in the range of 63–65% Cu and 35–37% Zn. The addition of zinc
provides significantly higher tensile strength, a lower melting point and
higher vapor pressure rating, which more than offsets the relative losses in
conductivity.
 Coated: Since brass wires can not be efficiently fabricated with any higher
concentration of zinc, the logical next step was the development of coated
wires. They typically have a core of brass or copper, for conductivity and
tensile strength, and are electroplated with a coating of pure or diffused zinc
for enhanced spark formation and flush characteristics.
64
4.10.3 Selecting the right wire
The following aspects should be considered in selecting the wire:
 Application: Workpiece thickness, final tolerances and finish desired, size of

inside radii, high taper angles, and workpiece material all require careful consideration
when selecting the optimum wire.
 Machine: Considerable variations in design concept exist between brands of

machines; in how they handle the wire tension, in their power supply design, and
whether or not they have automatic wire threading. The machine manufacturer’s
recommendations, regarding tensile strength in particular, should be the starting
point for determining which type of wires to try.
 Performance: Simple economics require users to get the most out of their
machines and cutting speed has become the dominant criteria for wire selection. It
is not uncommon for a change in wire, and minor adjustments of power settings, to
result in cutting speed improvements on the order of plus 20–40%.
Producing more work in less time is so important, that many shops will
even change wire mid-job; using high performance wire for the initial cuts and
perhaps a smaller diameter wire for the remaining small radii, for example. Wire
diameter should also be considered when cutting speed is critical. Since smaller
diameter wires can not carry as much current, as the largest diameter wire possible for
maximum speed.
 Economics: Operational economics frequently dictate wire selection Although

the cost of wire used in the process is not insignificant, it is much less than the other
costs associated with wire EDM, including machine cost of ownership and
depreciation, shop overheads and labor and the cost of scrap and rework if the wrong
wire is selected for the job. As a result, the user should not hesitate to experiment with
higher grades of wire at additional cost, even for seemingly modest increment of
performance improvements.
65
4.11 Experimental Study:
Different experiments were conducted on a Fanuc Robocut α-c WEDM

machine tool in following stages.
4.11.1Comparative study of Ferrous and non-Ferrous materials:
Machining is done on different ferrous materials to study MRR, Power

Consumption, and Surface Roughness. Extensive machining on ferrous specimens
such as En8, En31, and HCHC was carried out for set machining conditions, Non-
Ferrous materials like Brass; Copper & Aluminum specimens were also considered
to get a comparative analysis. The electrode wire used is copper wire with brass
coating of size 0.3 mm diameter. By using copper wire with brass coating as cutting
tool , the machining in WEDM is observed to be effected by machining pulse rate
and overlaid voltage. Surface finish increases for higher ranges of machining pulse
rate with voltage & material removal rate and surface roughness is also dependent on
machining pulse rate & power consumption(Dr.B.J.Ranganath et al 2004a).
Cutting voltage is maintained constant, only the machining impulse is

varied for fixed increments in machining the materials considered, by keeping all the
other process parameters such as cutting mode, wire tension, wire feed rate as
constant.
Care is taken in fixing the specimen to minimize overhang effects of the

specimen during cutting due to the self exited vibrations generated during machining
and the resulting noise. (Dr.B.J.Ranganath et al 1990). Though the specimen is kept
in dielectric bath which will dampen the vibration during cutting care should be
taken to prevent the effects of overhang.Setting a larger value of cutting voltage
results in a higher pulse peak and machining speed, however, it results with an
increased possibility of wire breakage.Surface damage is a vital factor in wire EDM
which needs sufficient care in imposing the cutting conditions (Serope Kalpakjian et
66
al 1998). Hence an optimal value of cutting Voltage has to be set to avoid frequent
wire breakage.
The surface roughness is the resultant effect of various parameters such

as power, machining impulse time, flushing conditions, type of electrode material
used. (Dr.B.J.Ranganath et al 2004)
4.11.2 Regression Analysis approach to predict Surface Roughness:
This study deals with machining different materials at different working conditions
to study their effect on the surface finish produced, based on the experimental values
obtained, a Regression model is developed for predicting surface roughness.
Regression Analysis is a statistical method to deal with the formulation of

mathematical model depicting relationship amongst variables which can be used for
the purpose of prediction of the values of dependent variable, given the values of the
independent variable. Though Numerical Methods are available for this purpose but
they only give the value of an dependent variable within the range measured hence
its utility is limited to finding out intermediate values of the experimented ranges of
parameters .But regression models can be made use of for predicting any value even
if it is not in the spectrum of experiment values considered. The results obtained are
compared with the experimental results.
En8, En31, HCHC specimens are machined for different machining

conditions, tostudy their effect on the surfacefinish produced. Based on the
experimental values obtained, a Regression model is developed for predicting surface
roughness.(Dr.B.J.Ranganath et al 2007).The test specimens are machined by fixing
it in WEDM machine reducing vibrations and resulting noise. (B.J.Ranganath et al
1990a).
67
4.11.3 Kerf Width Analysis in WEDM Process
The degree of accuracy of work piece dimensions obtainable and the fine
surface finishes that can be achieved make WEDM suitable for applications
involving manufacture of stamping dies, extrusion dies and prototype parts. The
most important performance measures in WEDM are material removal rate,
workpiece surface finish and kerf width, discharge current, pulse duration, pulse
frequency, wire material, wire speed, wire tension, average working voltage and
dielectric flushing conditions (Williams.R.E. et al 1991)Kerf width as shown in
Fig.4.11 is the width measured horizontally across the cut when cutting is made in
WEDM
Fig 4.11Details of WEDM cutting Kerf
Among other performance measures, the kerf, which determines the

dimensional accuracy of the finished part, is of utmost importance. The internal
corner radius to be produced in WEDM operations is also limited by kerf. The kerf
width will be more than the diameter of the wire electrode used in the cutting
process. The gap ranges from 0.025 to 0.075 mm and is constantly maintained by a
computer controlled positioning system. In WEDM operations, material removal rate
(MRR) determines the economics of machining and rate of production. In setting the
machining parameters, the main goal is the maximum MRR with the minimum kerf.
68
The kerf width will be dependent on main process parameters such as pulse rate, gap
between the wire electrode and the workpiece, voltage, wire material, wire tension
which in turn affect the MRR.
From the survey of the literature on the earlier work, it is observed that
discussion on MRR, surface roughness, cutting speed, wire rupture and wire craters
are available. But the present work highlights the kerf width in WEDM and its
governing parameters during process. This is an important study as it controls the
MRR, surface integrity and other controlling parameters of the process.
This investigation deals with machining different materials at different

working conditions to study their effect on the MRR and the kerf width. The surface
roughness obtained at different working conditions is also measured. Based on the
experimental values obtained, a Regression model is developed for predicting kerf.
(Dr.B.J.Ranganath et al 2005).
Regression Analysis is a statistical method to deal with the formulation

of mathematical model depicting relationship amongst variables which can be used
for the purpose of prediction of the values of dependent variable, given the values of
the independent variable. Though Numerical Methods are available for this purpose
but they only give the value of a dependent variable within the range measured hence
its utility is limited to finding out intermediate values of the experimented ranges of
parameters. But regression models can be made use of for predicting any value even
if it is not in the spectrum of experiment values considered. The results obtained are
compared with the experimental results.
Experiments were conducted on Fanuc Robocut α-c WEDM Machine.

En8, En31, HCHC specimens are machined. For different intervals of machining
impulse, kerf is made on the specimen considered for a fixed length. These
specimens are checked for the profiles generated using tool makers microscope,
micrographs are taken to study the nature of kerf profile generated during cutting.
MRR for all the specimens at different intervals of machining pulse are calculated.
69
Surface Roughness values measured. Micrographs and EDX analysis of the specimen
cut are taken. Carl Zeiss Tool Makers Microscope shown in Figure 4.12is used for
Kerf measurements.
Figure 4.12 Tool Makers Microscope used for Kerf width measurement
4.11.4 Study of Surface Quality by Multipass Machining
WEDM is widely being used at par to conventional machining process

like turning, milling and grinding. Hence it becomes appropriate to find out the
adaptability of WEDM for super finishing .Productivity improvement is the basic
thirst in this effort as it reduces lot of set up time and associated machining and labor
costs by avoiding super finishing operation on different machines meant for the
purpose. With the aim of studying the application of WEDM process as metal
finishing operation, multipass machining was done on HCHC specimens, by keeping
the set machining conditions for all the three passes same, the resulting surface
quality is checked after every pass.(Dr.B.J.Ranganath et al 2005 a)
70
4.11.5 Analysis of Effects of Machining Parameters for Different

Workpiece Thickness.
The thickness of the specimen being taken for machining is an important

consideration to be considered while evaluating surface finish obtained. To ascertain
this, two different materials have been machined and surface roughness values of the
specimens are measured in order to find the effects of cutting parameters on surface
roughness in the WEDM process. So for the selection of the materials, choice is
made on the most commonly used cold work tool steel and plastic mold steel namely
HCHC (High carbon high chromium steel) & P20 (Pre hardened steel)
Copper wire with Brass coating is used as tool material for experiment, to
get a comparative analysis on the kind of surface quality that can be obtained;
Molybdenum wire is also used as tool material.
Cold work steels, with properties such as good machinability,

dimensional stability on heat treatment, high wear resistance; sufficient toughness
and compressive strength are used generally in the fields of blanking, shearing and
cold forming. HCHC (with chemical composition of 1.5 to 2.25 C, 12 Cr,1
Mo,0.25V) & En30B (with chemical composition 0.26 to 0.34 C,0.4 to 0.8 Mn,0.1 to
0.35 Si,0.05 S&P,3.9 to 4.3 Ni,1.1 Cr) are the commonly used cold work steels.
The increasing demands for tools in plastic molding have necessitated the
specific development of tool steels. Tools for the processing of plastic are mainly
stressed with regard to pressure and wear. According to the type of plastics, there
may in addition exist stressing by corrosion. The various types of plastics and
different processing methods impose certain requirements on the tool steel, such as
economic machinability or cold hobbing ability, dimensional stability on heat
treatment, etc. The selection of steel for a given tool is governed by these
requirements. HCHC, En24 and En30B are the commonly used materials for cold
work & low cost molds. But the recent trend is to use prehardened steels namely
71
P20(with chemical composition of 0.30C,1.25 Cr,0.25Mo) because other mold steels

when heat treated attain an hardness of 60-64 HRC but it has to be annealed &
tempered and reduced to 42-46 HRC before using as mold material hence pre-
hardened steels are gaining extreme importance
.
The analysis is carried out under standard test conditions by keeping
cutting voltage constant, only the machining impulse is varied for fixed increments
in machining specimen of HCHC and P20 materials, by keeping all the other process
parameters such as cutting mode, wire tension, wire feed rate as constant. An
optimal value of cutting Voltage is maintained to avoid frequent wire breakage.
(C.P.S.Prakash et al 2008).
Table4.9 Set Parameters during machining

Wire Material Copper wire
with Brass coating
Wire Diameter 0.3 mm
Pulse Mode 1
Dielectric Water Pressure 15 Kg/cm2
Wire Tension 1300 g
Wire Feed 10 m/min
For the control of Fanuc Robocut α-c WEDM Machine which is a CNC
machine, there are 18 cutting variables and the operator only sets two general
purpose parameters, which are cutting voltage parameter ”C” and the T-on
(machining impulse) “T”. These two parameters arrange the conditions that are
needed for machining. The rest of the parameters are adjusted automatically by the
machine itself.
By using different “C” and “T” parameter combinations and keeping all
other process parameters constant, a series of cuts are performed on HCHC and P20
specimens. The size of the specimen considered is 20mm & 30mm thickness, width
50mm & breadth 50mm. Machining is done on the entire 50mm length of the side for
a combination of parameter setting. Measurements are made on the side where
machining is done for surface roughness using the Perthometer. Surface roughness is
72
checked both horizontally and vertically to get the correct estimation of actual
surface roughness obtained across the surface.
4.11.6Analysis of White Layer formation on the Machined Surface
The WEDM affected surface layers, from the surface to the inside, which
are called white layers, dictate the surface characteristics of the machined surface.
This study deals with analyzing the formation of white layer and its effect on the
surface characteristics by machining different materials at different working
conditions.
The mechanism of material removal in WEDM process involves the

complex erosion effect by rapid, repetitive and discrete spark discharges between the
wire tool and the job immersed in liquid dielectric medium. A DC power supply is
used to generate very high frequency pulses. These electric discharges melt and
vaporize minute amounts of work material, which are ejected and flushed away by
the dielectric, leaving small craters on the work piece.
The wire electrode wears as discharging occurs during machining, and it

also receives a thermal load. To maintain a stable machining process by limiting wire
cut-off accidents during machining, it is important to improve the wire strength at
high temperatures and choose machining conditions in such a way as to effectively
utilize the designed tool life of the electrode.
The machining is achieved by an electrode wire which acts as an cutting

tool .Due consideration has to be given towards wire material characteristics, its
loading condition on the machine, wire tension with which it is loaded, the
interaction that take place between the tool and the work piece, the effect of high
temperature generated during machining on to the tool and the work material.
To prevent the wire used in WEDM from breaking is a challenging task

for the user to obtain a continuous machining process. The occurrence of wire
73
rupture would result in a an increase of machining time, decrease of machining

accuracy and the deterioration of quality of machined surface due to interruptions.
Due to the thermal effects that develop at the interface zone between the
tool and the work piece lot of material changes take place on the surface of the tool
and the work piece. A detailed investigation in this regard becomes essential as it
speaks of the kind of surface characteristics that can be achieved on the work piece
surface and also the material transformations that take place from the tool towards
the work piece.
In EDM the transportation of tool material on to the work material has

been observed. The microstructures of amachined surface are complex and differ
from that of the parent metal. Three distinctive layers can be identified, the outermost
layer, an intermediate layer and the unaffected parent metal. When etched with nital
solution and viewed under an optical microscope, the outermost layer which is bright
calledwhite layer is observed. White layer is formed when the outermost molten
metal is quenched at an extremely high rate by flushes of the dielectric. Beneaththe
white layer is the intermediate layer which is darker than the parent metal as shown
in Figure4.13 .The thickness of this intermediate layer also increases as the discharge
energy is raised, but the thickness varies from material to material.(Dr.B.J.Ranganath
et al 2006)
Figure 4.13EDM heat affected zone

74
4.11.7 Experimental Study on Adjustable Parameters of Tool

Wire Electrode.
The productivity and accuracy of the job in WEDM process depends

upon various parameterslike workpiece material, wire electrode material, wire
tension, wire speed, spark gap, and flushing pressure etc, a variationinany single
parameter will affect the machining accuracy and productivity. It is also required to
obtain optimum production with less wire consumption. Thickness of the job, wire
tension and wire advancement play an important role in the consumption of wire
electrode.HCHC specimens of two different thicknesses are machined to study the
effect of wire tension, wire advancement, thickness of the job on cutting speed,
surface roughness and wire consumption without wire breakage.
4.11.8 Analysis of Wire Failure
The mechanical behavior of the wire in WEDM is extremely complicated

in nature. This is because the magnitude and directions of various forces acting upon
the wire are not always constant as the occurrence of sparks is highly stochastic in
nature. The stochastic nature of the WEDM process is attributed to a combination of
factors such as fluctuation in voltage and current, decomposition and distribution of
dielectric, random ionic migration, interaction of two successive discharges and
presence of debris particles in the machining zone.
The main forces acting upon the wire can be analyzed as that of forces
from gas bubbles, formed by the plasma of the erosion mechanism, hydraulic forces
due to flushing, electrostatic force and electrodynamic force. Apart from these
forces, for every individual spark discharge, the wire experiences an impact, which
acts in reverse direction of the discharge occurrence. All these forces along with the
axial tensile force applied to the wire set the wire to vibration along with a wire-
bending in the reverse direction of cutting when discrete sparks aregenerated
between the electrodes.
75
The static deflection of a stretched wire supported by the two wire guides
at opposite ends has been modeled. The wire fed through the guides as a result of
forces acting on it are subjected to bending; resulting in vibration of the tool .This
causes abrasive action of the tool with the work surface resulting in reduction of
cross section of the wire electrode, leading to its breakage.Hence the productivity of
machining, machine utilization time, manpoweris reduced. Also the surface
characteristic of the Workpiece gets affected. Hence proper care should be taken in
selecting proper process parameters to avoid the effect of vibration and the wire
breakage.
HCHCsteel specimens material are machined and extensive machining

tests were carried out for set machining conditions to study the behavior &
performance of wire electrode under varied conditions of machining. Coated tool
wire(brass coated copper) and single component tool wire (bare brass and
molybdenum) are used in studying and evaluating HCHC steel specimen machining
by WEDM. To get a comparative evaluation between the two tool materials taken
cutting voltage is maintained constant, only the machining impulse is varied for fixed
increments in machining all specimen, other process parameters such as cutting
mode, wire tension, wire feed rate etc as constant. A detailed analysis of
variousfactors to be considered in selection of wire electrodes, factors leading to
failure of wire electrode during machining has been done.
Figure4.14 Wire fixing fixture and the spool on WEDM machine

76
Figure4.15 Wire Driving System
Figure 4.14and Figure 4.15 shows the close view of wire fixing fixture
and the spool positioning on WEDM machine.Figure.4.16 shows the spool size
parameters and the wire electrode package. A proper‘d’ to ‘D’ size appropriate to the
‘L’ value has to be designed to avoid uncoiling of wire electrode before feeding it
through guides. The wire fed through the guides as a result will result in bending,
resulting in vibration of the tool as shown in Figure4.17. This causes abrasive action
of the tool with the work surface resulting in cross section reduction of the wire
electrode, leading to its breakage. Hence the productivity of machining, machine
utilization time, manpower is reduced. Also the surface characteristic of the
workpiece gets affected. Hence proper care should be take in selecting an optimal
wire tension value, in loading the spool to the machine to avoid the effect of
vibration and the wire breakage.
77
Figure4.16. Spool Dimensions & Package
Figure4.17 Modeling of Vibration effect on WEDM
The deflection of the wire due to different kinds of forces working on it

(electromagnetism, flushing, pressure of the spark) is the main cause of inaccuracy in
the wire-EDM process, especially when cutting corners. Applying a tensile force to
the wire minimizes its bending. Commonly used electrode materials are cupper, brass
and zinc-coated brass. Electrode materials with a high tensile stress at temperatures
of 600° C, such as tungsten, molybdenum and coated steel wires are also available in
the market for high accuracy applications. (Dr.B.J.Ranganath et al 2005 b)
78
The recommendation for the selection of wire types in various cutting

applications for different jobs are shown in Table4.10.The performance requirements
for the wire electrodes is shown in Figure4.18.
Table4.10 Wire Recommendations for various categories

Of Wire EDM job
Type of Job Cure Appropriate Wire Type

Increased Speed Improved Flushing Zinc coated Brass
Increased Energy Input Brass clad Copper clad Steel
Brass layer on Copper
Thick Workpiece Increased Fracture Toughness Brass clad Copper clad Steel
Improved Flushing Graphitized Wire
‘Troublesome’Al Increased Fracture Toughness Brass clad Copper clad Steel

loys Increased Energy Input Brass layer on Copper
Taper Cuts Higher Tensile Strength Brass clad Copper clad Steel
Increased Pliability Alloyed Brass
Excessive Breaks Higher Fracture Toughness Brass clad Copper clad Steel
Higher Tensile Strength Alloyed Brass
Figure4.18Performance Requirements for the wire electrode

79
4.11.9 Effect of Gap Size on the Machining Characteristic in WEDM
This is one of the most crucial parameters of the EDM system. The size
of the gap is governed by the servo control system whose motion is controlled by gap
width sensors. They control the motion of the ram head or the quill, which in turn
governs the gap size. The gap size governs the possibility of sparking and arcing.
The range of the gap size in WEDM should be between 0.013 to 0.060 mm, although
gap sizes as small as of several hundred to several thousands of micrometers can be
found depending on the application, current, voltage, and the die-electric media.
Figure 4.19 WEDM operations showing the gap width
HCHC specimens of specific sizes are machined for set machining

conditions to study the effect of various gap sizes on the surface characteristic of the
machined surface.Figure 4.19 illustrates gap width consideration in WEDM
machining.Specimens are fixed with utmost care minimizing overhang effects during
machining. Cutting voltage is maintained constant, only the machining impulse is
varied for fixed increments in machining all the specimens, by keeping all the other
process parameters such as cutting mode, wire tension, wire feed rate etc as constant.
To maintain a constant gap size, it is observed during experimentation that the feed
rate should bemaintained equal to the MRR.(Dr.B.J.Ranganath et al 2008a)
80
When cutting voltage is set at a larger value, it results in a higher pulse

peak and machining speed together withan increased possibility of wire
breakage.Hence an optimal value of cutting Voltage has to be selected to avoid
frequent wire breakage. The surface roughness is governed by various parameters
such as power, machining impulse time, flushing conditions, type of electrode
material used, gap size, etc.
4.11.10Design of Experiments Method for Optimization of Process

Parameters
DOE (Design of Experiments) provides a powerful means to achieve

breakthrough improvements in product quality and process efficiency. From the
viewpoint of manufacturing fields, this can reduce the number of required
experiments when taking into account the numerous factors affecting experimental
results. DOE can show how to carry out the fewest number of experiments while
maintaining the most important information. The most important process of the
DOE is determining the independent variable values at which a limited number of
experiments will be conducted. For this purpose, Taguchi proposed an improved
DOE. This approach adopts the fundamental idea of DOE, but simplifies and
standardizes the factorial and fractional factorial designs so that the conducted
experiments can produce more consistent results. The major contribution of the
work has been in developing and using a special set of orthogonal arrays for
designing experiments. Orthogonal arrays are a set of tables of numbers, each of
which can be used to lay out experiments for a number of experimental situations.
The DOE technique based on this approach makes use of these arrays to design
experiments. Through the orthogonal arrays, it is possible to carry out fewer
fractional factorial experiments than full factorial experiments. Also, the relative
influence of factors and interactions on the variation of results can be identified.
Through fractional experiments, optimal conditions can be determined by analyzing
the S/N ratio (Signal-to-Noise ratio) as a performance measure, often referred to as
ANOVA (Analysis of Variance).
81
In Taguchi Method, the word "optimization" implies "determination of

BEST levels of control factors ". In turn, the BEST levels of control factors are those
that maximize the Signal-to-Noise ratios. The Signal-to-Noise ratios are log
functions of desired output characteristics. The experiments, that are conducted to
determine the BEST levels, are based on "Orthogonal Arrays", are balanced with
respect to all control factors and yet are smallest in number. This in turn implies that
the resources (materials and time) required for the experiments are also minimum.
 Orthogonal Arrays
When optimizing process conditions to obtain higher quality products,

it is necessary to carry out several steps. First, factors or conditions have to be
selected, which predominantly affect the process results. These selected factors are
divided into several levels, and all combinations are usually taken into account. In
this case, the number of all possible combinations corresponds to the number of
needed experiments. Here, orthogonal arrays make it possible to carry out
fractional factorial experiments in order to avoid numerous experimental works as
well as to provide shortcuts for optimizing factors. The orthogonal arrays are
determined by the number of factors and levels considered in the process. They are
usually described in the form LA (BC),where A denotes the number of fractional
experiments, B is the number of levels, and C is the number of factors. The number 2
or 3 is usually selected for the levels.
 Degree of Freedom in DOE
Degree of freedom (DOF) is a common term used in engineering and

science. However, there is no visible interpretation of DOF applied to
experimental data. Regarding statistical analysis of experimental data, DOF
provides an indication of the amount of information contained in a data set. In DOE
processes, DOF is applied to characterize four separate items as follows:
 DOF of a factor = number of levels of the factor – 1

 DOF of a column = number of levels of the column – 1
82
 DOF of an array = total of all column DOFs for the array

 DOF of an experiment = total number of results of all trials – 1
DOF is the minimal number of comparisons between levels of factors or

interactions in order to improve process characteristics. The type of orthogonal array
used in DOE can be selected by the DOF. When determining factors and levels, the
orthogonal array has to be selected. In this case, the DOF is taken into account as a
reference for selecting a certain type of orthogonal array. Determining the number of
factors and levels, a suitable orthogonal array can be selected by the total DOF of the
experiment, because the total DOF of factors and levels used in an orthogonal array
is already determined.
 Analysis of Variance
ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) is a statistical technique that

identifies factors significantly affecting the experimental results. ANOVA consists
of
 Summing squares for distributions of all characteristic values
(experimental data).
 Unbiased variance
 Decomposing this total sum into the sums of squares for all factors
used in the experiment
 Calculating unbiased variances through the sums of squares for all
factors over their DOF
 Calculating the variance ratio by dividing each unbiased variance by
the error variance;
 Searching which factors significantly affect experimental results by
analyzing the error variance. This procedure can be accomplished
by constructing an ANOVA table.
The most important performance measures in WEDM are MRR, Surface

Finish and Kerf (cutting width).Discharge current; pulse duration, pulse frequency,
83
wire speed, wire tension, average working voltage and dielectric flushing conditions
are the machining parameters which affect the performance measures.
Among the other performance measures, the kerf, which determines the
dimensional accuracy of the finished part, is of prime importance. In WEDM, metal
removal rate (MRR) determines the economics of machining and rate of production.
In setting the machining parameters, the main goal is the maximum MRR with the
minimum kerf. The setting of machining parameters relies strongly on the experience
of the operators and machining parameter tables provided by machine tool
manufacturers. It is difficult to utilize optimal functions of a machine owing to there
being too many adjustable machining parameters. Hence optimization of process
parameters suiting to minimum kerf and maximum MRR has got lot of practical
utility in terms of selecting proper process parameters having a fair idea of resulting
kerf and MRR. (Dr.B.J.Ranganath et al 2007a).The Statistical analysis for
optimization of the desired parameters has been done by using MINITAB 14.
84
CHAPTER 5
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Based on the sequence of experimental studies that were performed as

explained in Chapter 4,Section 4.11, corresponding observations,results and
discussions are agiven below:
5.1 Comparative study of Ferrous and non-Ferrous materials:
The results of machining En8 material for constant voltage and different
intervals of machining impulse(ON time) are shown Table 5.1,the surface roughness
and MRR are measured and recorded.
Table 5.1 Machining conditions for En8 work material (V constant)

Material En8
Size, mm DIA 10*30
Wire electrode Brass Coated Copper Wire
Cutting voltage,v(constant) 8 8 8
ON time, µsec 8 10 12
Cutting speed(mm/min) 7.8 7.8 7.8
Working current, amps 3-4.2 3.8-4.8 4.2-5.2
Working voltage, v 28-31 29-32 39-42
Surface roughness ,µm 2.124 2.253 2.323
MRR,mm3/min 4.31 5.183 6.208
Power consumption, watts 84 110.2 163.8
Machining time, min 4 4 3.5
Feed rate, mm/min 2.3016 2.4468 2.5431
85
Figure5.1 Micrograph of En8 specimen, T-ON:10(V constant)

Set Parameters: Cutting Voltage(constant):8 v, T-ON:10µSec,Cutting Speed:7.8
mm/min, Working Current:4.2-5.2 amps, Working Voltage:39-42 v.
Figure5.2 Micrograph of En8 specimen ,T-ON :12 (V constant)

The machine settings for machining En31 material for constant voltage
and different intervals of machining impulse(ON time) and the values of surface
roughness and MRR are as shown in Table 5.2.
86
Table 5.2 Machining conditions for En31 work material (V constant)
Material En31
Size, mm DIA 10*30
Working current, amps 4.3 4.5 5.7
MRR,mm3/min 4.5695 5.5850 6.2831
Power consumption, watts 167.7 171 216.6
Machining time, min 5.5 4.5 4
Feed rate, mm/min 2.3122 2.3696 2.5206
Figure5.3 Micrograph of En31 specimen(V constant)

mm/min, Working Current:5.7 amps, Working Voltage:39-42 v.
HCHC steel specimens are machined for the set conditions as shown in
Table 5.3, for constant voltage and different intervals of machining impulse(ON
time) and the values of surface roughness and MRR are recorded in Table 5.3.
87
Table 5.3 Machining conditions for HCHC work material (V constant)
Material HCHC
Size, mm DIA 10*30
Working current, amps 6.2 6.5 7.5
MRR,mm3/min 4.1887 4.5695 5.0265
Power consumption, watts 210.8 253.5 330
Machining time, min 6 5.5 5
Feed rate, mm/min 2.3448 2.351 2.5049
Figure5.4 Micrograph of HCHC specimen (T-ON:8)

88
Figure5.5 Micrograph of HCHC specimen(T-ON:10)

mm/min, Working Current:6.5 amps, Working Voltage:39-42 v
Figure5.6 Micrograph of HCHC specimen(T-ON:12)

Figure 5.7 Surface Roughness in machining En8, En31&HCHC

(Voltage constant)
89
Figure 5.8 MRR in machining En8, En31& HCHC (Voltage constant)
En8 specimens are machined for set machining conditions and the
surface roughness and MRR are observed. Since En8 is unalloyed medium carbon
steel, the surface roughness values measured indicate lower values and vary in an
incremental order, linearly as the machining impulse (or ON time) increases. This
can be seen from Figure 5.7.The MRR is high for high values of machining Impulse
in HCHC as can be seen from Figure 5.8.
Figure 5.1 and Figure 5.2 show the micrographs of En8 under specified
conditions .At higher machining Impulse (T-ON) of 10µSec and 12µSec, overlaid
molten metal with cavities on the surface can be observedin both the cases.At
constant voltage with an stabilized current supply of a range, the surface obtained by
machining indicate a thick scattering of the microstructure ,a gradual variation in
surface roughness thus can be seen from the observations in Table.5.1.MRR is
observed to increase at higher pulse ON time with increased power consumption at
an uniform feed rate.
The surface roughness values while machining En31 are lower compared
to En8 as En31is a high carbon alloy steel with a high degree of hardness with good
compressive strength and abrasion resistance. There is a linear variation of MRR as
and when machining impulse time is increased. The variation of surface roughness
for various values of machining impulse time is shown in Figure 5.7.Highly
90
distributed broken deposits on the surface is seen in Figure 5.3, hence the surface
roughness is observed to be consistent for all the T-ON values.
Since HCHCis tool steelwith high wear resistance and good toughness, a
better surface characteristic can be achieved during machining, the surface roughness
values for different incremental values of machining impulse indicate that the values
are comparatively less as compared to En8 and En31.The depletion of the surface
when machined with Brass Coated Copper Wire is observed to be subjected to more
thermal interactions at the interface due to variations in gap size.
In Figure 5.4, the metal flow and dispersion with cavities are found to be
low and a white coloured depositions may be observed which are external
depositions interacted during the high temperature thermal interaction between the
wire tool and the workpiece.This is a subjective finding which can be noticed at
specific conditions of process parameters in cutting materials with WEDM.At higher
pulse ON time as seen in Figure 5.6, the irregular fissure open undersurface with
irregular distribution of overlays of molten flow is observed ,hence at higher
machining impulse ,keeping voltage constant, the surface roughness drastically
changes with considerable increments, hence to keep an uniform machined surface,
the parameter set up combination should not be adopted beyond this value.
From Figure 5.7,it can be noted that better surface characteristics can be
achieved with En31 compared to En8 and HCHC, as better surface quality can be
achieved. For the same imposed machining parameters MRR for En31 is high
compared to En8 and HCHC as can be seen from Figure 5.8.Increased MRR with a
better surface finish is good balance to get a productive machining output from
WEDM machine.
En8 specimens are machined for the set conditions as shown in Table
5.4,by keeping T-ON(machining impulse)constant andvarying the cutting voltage
and the values of surface roughness and MRR are recorded.
91
Table 5.4 Machining conditions forEn8 work material (T-ON constant)
Material En8
Size, mm DIA 10*30
Cutting voltage,v 10 12 14
ON time, µsec(constant) 8 8 8
MRR,mm3/min 5.026 6.2831 7.1807
Machining time, min 4.2 4.8 5.2
Feed rate, mm/min 2.21 2.34 2.413
Figure5.9 Micrograph of En8 specimen (T-ON constant)

Set Parameters: Cutting Voltage:14 v, T-ON(constant):8µSec,Cutting Speed:7.8
En31 specimens are machined for the set conditions as shown in Table
5.5,by keeping T-ON(machining impulse)constant andvarying the cutting voltage
and the values of surface roughness and MRR are recorded.
92
Table 5.5 Machining conditions for En31 work material (T-ON constant)
Material En31
Size, mm DIA 10*30
MRR,mm3/min 5.2 6.432 7.431
Power consumption, watts 86 107 157.8
Machining time, min 5 4 4
Feed rate, mm/min 2.421 2.447 2.63
Figure5.10 Micrograph of En31 specimen(T-ON constant)

HCHC steel specimens are machined for the set conditions as shown in
Table 5.6.T-ON (machining impulse) is kept constant and the cutting voltage is
varied for intervals of 10, 12 and 14 volts and the values of surface roughness and
MRR are recorded.
93
Table 5.6 Machining conditions for HCHC work material (T-ON constant)
Material HCHC
Size, mm DIA 10*30
MRR,mm3/min 4.726 5.331 6.237
Feed rate, mm/min 2.401 2.546 2.731
Figure5.11 Micrograph of HCHC specimen(T-ON constant)

94
Figure 5.12 Surface Roughness while machining En8,En31 & HCHC

(T-ON constant)
Figure 5.13 MRR While machining En8, En31& HCHC

(T-ON constant)
The surface roughness values while machining En8 by keeping on Time

constant, is comparatively less to that of surface roughness values of En8 when
cutting voltage was kept constant. When the machining is done, at the interface of
wire electrode and workpiece, the gap is bridged during each machining impulse.
This phase occurs during T-ON, hence longer the values of T-ON;
interfacial reactions due to heat and thermal interaction of the tool-workpiece will be
more. This results in formation of rough surface with wide and deep crevice. Since
the material removal (MRR) takes place during time ON, the spark gap is bridged,
current is generated and the process of material removal is accomplished.
The MRR values are high compared to the values when voltage is
maintained constant, this is because of the fact that when voltage is varied the spark
95
gap also gets changed and this factor has direct bearing on the material removal rate
apart from material cut getting discharged through the dielectric media. The preset
voltage determines the width of the spark gap between the leading edge of the
electrode and the work piece. High voltage settings increase the gap and hence the
flushing and machining.
The surface finish is better when voltage is kept constant for En31
specimen; also the MRR is more when compared to machining En31 keeping voltage
constant. It predominantly refers to the fact that during varying voltage conditions,
the discharge hence the MRR will also be more. It linearly varies with the increase of
voltage values. Small micro craters are observed with overlaidmolten metal with
irregular deposition at higher magnifications as shown in Figure 5.10, which will
have its bearing on surface characteristics.
The same phenomena as to what was observed in machining En31 are

noticed in machining HCHC also. Since HCHC is a hard material, the MRR values
are less compared to En31 for the same condition of machining keeping voltage
constant.
Figure 5.14 Comparison of Surface Roughness for En8

96
Comparison of Surface Roughness for En31
Roughness,micrometer
2.4
En31(Voltage
Surface
constant)
2.2
En31(T -ON
constant)
2
6 8 10 12 14
Machining Impulse,microsec
Figure 5.15 Comparison of Surface Roughness for En31
Figure 5.16 Comparison of Surface Roughness for HCHC
Figure 5.14, Figure 5.15 and Figure 5.16 illustrate comparison of surface
roughness for En8, En31 and HCHC materials respectively under conditions of
constant voltage and constant T-ON time.It is observed that HCHC and En8 perform
better under conditions of constant machining impulse that is T-ON,whereas En31
show better surface finish under conditions of constant cutting voltage.
Brass specimens are machined for the set conditions as shown in Table
5.7,by keeping cutting voltage constant and varying T-ON(machining impulse)and
the measured surface roughness and calculated MRR are recorded .
97
Table 5.7 Machining conditions for Brass work material(V constant)
Material Brass
Size, mm DIA 10*30
MRR,mm3/min 4.02 4.431 5.18
Feed rate, mm/min 2.311 2.413 2.44
Figure5.17 Micrograph of Brass specimen(T-ON:8)

mm/min, Working Current:3-4.2 amps, Working Voltage:28-31 v.
98


Brass is a hard material among the non ferrous materials considered for
experimentation. A fine surface quality can be obtained by WEDM at the set
conditions compared to Copper and Aluminium. As can be seen from Table 5.7, for
higher ranges of machining pulse it is observed that the MRR value increases
considerably.
99
Figure 5.17, Figure 5.18 and Figure 5.19 show the micrographs of brass
specimen taken at different machining settings. A fine distribution of overlaid
material is seen in Figure 5.17.In Figure 5.18 and Figure 5.19 larger deposition with
cavities are observed.Uniform surface conditions can be observed at low T-ON
settings,however with increase in T-ON value,surface finish gets deteriorated fuelled
by high power consumption and MRR.Hence parameter settings in machining with
brass are to be selected for good surface condition taking the set factors into
consideration.
Table 5.8 shows the machine settings in machining Copper specimens by

keeping cutting voltage constant and varying T-ON (machining impulse)and the
measured surface roughness and calculated MRR are recorded.
Table 5.8 Machining conditions for Copper work material(V constant)
Material Copper
Size, mm DIA 10*30
MRR,mm3/min 5.326 5.581 6.218
Feed rate, mm/min 2.23 2.344 2.51
100
Figure5.20 Micrograph of Copper specimen(T-ON:8)

mm/min, Working Current:3-4.2 amps, Working Voltage:28-31 v.
Figure5.21 Micrograph of Copper specimen (T-ON: 10)

Set Parameters: Cutting Voltage (constant):8 v, T-ON:10µSec, Cutting Speed:7.8
Figure.5.22 Micrograph of Copper specimen (T-ON:12)

101
Set Parameters: Cutting Voltage (constant):8 v, T-ON:12 µSec, Cutting Speed: 7.8
mm/min, Working Current: 4.2-5.2amps, Working Voltage: 39-42v.
A slightly higher surface roughness is observedin machining Copper

specimen compared to Brass. There is not much of variation of surface roughness
value as and when the machining pulse rate is varied. For the same conditions of
machining the MRR is high in copper compared to Brass as observed in Table
5.8.The micrographs shown in Figure 5.20,Figure 5.21 and Figure 5.22,a cleft
formation with widespread disorientation may be observed.As seen during the
experimentation from Table 5.8, MRR and surface roughness drastically increase at
high range of machining impulse.Though the machining time is observed to be the
same for all the three stages of machining, variations in surface quality propelled by
spark interactions limit the parameter setting in copper to low machining impulse.
Table 5.8 shows the measured surface roughness, calculated MRR in

machining Aluminum specimens with cutting voltage constant and varying T-ON .
Table 5.9 Machining conditions for Aluminium work material(V constant)
Material Aluminium
Size, mm DIA 10*30
MRR,mm3/min 4.213 5.634 7.12
Feed rate, mm/min 2.43 2.68 2.7431
102
Figure5.23 Micrograph of Aluminiumspecimen(V constant)

Set Parameters: Cutting Voltage (constant):8 v, T-ON:8µSec ,Cutting Speed:7.8
mm/min, Working Current:3-4.2amps, Working Voltage:28-31v
The surface roughness in aluminium is observed to be more compared to

Brass and Copper for the same conditions of machining. There is linear variation in
close range as shown in Table 5.9. MRR varies linearly and a very high MRR is
observed for increased machining pulse rates. Depleted thermal interactions can be
observed conditions from the micrograph shown in Figure 5.23, with thicker
deposited layers with local lumps in addition to hallow pockets due to violent flow of
cutting molten metal due to disturbed melting.
Figure 5.24 Surface Roughness while machining Brass, Copper & Aluminum
(Voltage constant)
103
Figure 5.25 MRR while machining Brass, Copper & Aluminum

(Voltage constant)
When we compare the surface roughness measured while machining

brass, copper and aluminium as shown in Figure 5.24, brass show better surface
condition in terms of less surface roughness as compared to copper and aluminium.
MRR of brass is less compared to copper and aluminium. For the same setting of
parameters aluminium reflects high MRR value as shown in Figure 5.25.
Table 5.10 Machining conditions for Brass work material (T-ON constant)
Material Brass
Size, mm DIA 10*30
MRR,mm3/min 5.102 5.821 6.307
Machining time, min 3.5 4 3.5
Feed rate, mm/min 2.306 2.468 2.531
104
Brass specimens are machinedby keeping T-ON (machining impulse)

constant and varying cutting voltage, surface roughness and MRR are shown in
Table 5.10
Figure5.26 Micrograph of Brass Specimen(V:10)

Set Parameters: cutting Voltage:10,T-ON(Constant):8 µsec,Cutting Speed:7.8
mm/min, Working Current:3-4.2mps,Working Voltage:28-31v

Set Parameters: Cutting Voltage:12, T-ON(constant):8µSec ,Cutting Speed:7.8
mm/min, Working Current:3.8-4.8amps,Working Voltage:29-32 v.
Surface roughness is less as shown in Table 5.10, when machining pulse

is maintained at a constant rate compared to machining of Brass when voltage is
maintained constant. Uniform microstructural characteristics are observed from
micrographs for various ranges of cutting voltage shown in Figure 5.26, Figure 5.27
and Figure 5.28. Hence the surface roughness is consistent at all levels of cutting
voltage considered.
105

Copper specimens are machinedby keeping T-ON (machining impulse)

constant and varying cutting voltage, the surface roughness measured and MRR
calculated are shown in Table 5.11.
Table 5.11 Machining conditions for Copper work material (T-ON constant)
Material Copper
Size, mm DIA 10*30
MRR,mm3/min 4.302 4.528 4.807
Feed rate, mm/min 2.116 2.34 2. 432
106
Figure5.29 Micrograph of Copper Specimen(V:10)

mm/min, Working Current:3-4.2amps,Working Voltage:28-31 v.


107

A slightly higher value of surface roughness is observed compared to

Brass for the same conditions of machining. MRR values vary linearly with almost
fixed increments 0.2-0.3 mm3/min, for varied stages of cutting voltageas can be seen
from Table 5.11.The surface roughness remains almost consistent as can be seen
from micrographs, a scattered microstructure with unformed craters may be observed
at different stages of cutting voltage. Hence there is no much change observed in
surface roughness values during experimentation.
Table 5.12 shows the machine settings used in machining Aluminium

specimens by keeping T-ON (machining impulse) constant and varying cutting
voltage, surface roughness and MRR are also shown in Table 5.12 .
Table 5.12 Machining conditions for Aluminium work material

(T-ON constant)
Material Aluminium
Size, mm DIA 10*30
MRR,mm3/min 3.83 4.32 5.35
Machining time, min 3.5 4 3.5
Feed rate, mm/min 2.210 2.371 2.563
108
Figure5.32 Micrograph of Aluminium Specimen(V:10)

mm/min, Working Current:3-4.2amps,Working Voltage:28-31 v.
A good surface finish is observed compared to cutting Aluminum when

voltage is maintained constant. MRR increases drastically for high ranges of cutting
voltage as recorded in Table 5.12. Higher surface roughness values are observed at
increased voltage ranges; hence voltage should not be increased more than 10 v, to
have control over surface quality and also to reduce wire breakage. Gradual
formation of craters at lower ranges of cutting voltage is observed from micrograph
shown in Figure 5.32 for constant machining impulse condition.
Figure 5.33 Surface Roughness while machining Brass,Copper & Aluminum

(T-ON constant)
109
Figure 5.34 MRR while machining Brass,Copper &Aluminum

(T-ON constant)
It can be noticed from Figure 5.33, surface roughness for aluminum is

less compared to brass and copper. While machining Aluminum, better surface
quality is observed at constant T-ON condition than at constant Voltage setting.
MRR of aluminum is also less compared to other two materials and for the same
material at constant voltage setting.
Hence while machining aluminum, for getting good measurable output

parameters;machining should be carried out at constant machining impulse(T-ON).
Figure 5.35 En31 specimen being cut on WEDM

110
Figure 5.36 Aluminum specimen being cut on WEDM
Figure 5.37 Non Ferrous specimens staked together during machining
Figure 5.35 indicate En31 specimen cutting during experimentation and

Figure 5.36 show aluminum cutting. For studying suitability of various parameter
combinations, specimens are cut by staking together as shown in Figure 5.37.This
helps in comparing the measured surface roughness of different materials considered
since the setting is not changed, the values thus obtained during experimental
observations can be taken for valid inferences.
Figure5.38 EDX analysis of cut HCHC specimen

111
Figure 5.39 EDX analysis of cut En31 specimen
Figure 5.40 EDX analysis of cut En8 specimen
Figure 5.41 EDX analysis of cut Al specimen

112
Figure 5.42EDX analysis of cut Copper specimen
From the SEM photographs of HCHC, EN31&EN8 it can be noticed

that,ductile fracture is observed during machining and the overlays in EN31 & EN8
are more compared to HCHC. Further the scatter in the material dispersion is
observed more with higher impulse rate of T-ON. Similarly from the micrographs of
brass ,copper and aluminum,the surface dispersion is observed to be of similar in
nature with brass and aluminum. The dimples in the machined surface are
pronounced with aluminum indicating the material flow and quick solidification
followed. Figure 5.38to Figure 5.42shows the EDXA of HCHC, En31, En8, Al and
Copper specimens cut with brass coated copper wire. It is observed that there is a
pick up of material like Zn & Cu from wire tool. This will affect the surface
characteristics and condition of cut surface.
During machining it is observed that increase in rate of machining

impulse will result in large time span for the spark contained during any cycle. Hence
the power consumption also will be more at different increments for different
materials considered.
Though the type of material considered for machining and its hardness
also has a significant effect on the rate of material being removed, the fact that all the
machining is done during time ON, selection of an optimal value of time ON dictates
the material removal rate (MRR) in WEDM. It was observed by experimentation that
as the value of machining impulse increases correspondingly the MRR for different
materials observed also increases. Thus, it is seen that the power consumption for
113
machining different materials also increases respectively for higher ranges of

machining impulse. This can be observed from Table.5.13& illustrated in
Figure.5.43.Power consumption for HCHC and En31 under conditions of constant
voltage is more compared to other materials.Hence as can be seen from Figure 5.43,
machining with WEDM under conditions of constant T-ON is more viable if power
consumption has to be maintained at a lower level.
Table5.13 Power Consumption while machining different materials

Impulse Power Consumption, watts
En8 En31 HCHC
µs
V T-ON V T-ON V T-ON
constant constant constant constant constant constant
8 84 73 167.7 86 210.8 92
10 110.2 106.3 171 107 253.5 113.4
12 163.8 143.4 216.6 157.8 330 157.8
Power Consumption while cutting En8,En31 & HCHC
320
Power Consumption,watts
270
En8 Voltage constant

En8 T -ON constant
220 En31 Voltage constant
En31 T -ON constant
HCHC Voltage constant
170 HCHC T -ON constant
120
70
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Figure.5.43Effect of Machining Impulse on Power consumption in cutting

En8, En31, HCHC
114
5.2 Regression Analysis approach to predict Surface Roughness:
A regression model is developed, the values obtained from experiment is

compared with that obtained by computing in Regression formula using Microsoft
Excel Statistical Software using the equations:
Y=0.0073X+2.1822 (En8)…… (5.1)

Y=0.0233X+1.9185 (En31)…. (5.2)
Y=0.014X+2.0865 (HCHC)…. (5.3)
And substituting the desired values from the experimental observation as

shown in Table.5.14, the required values are obtained
Table5.14Computed values of Surface Roughness for different materials
Impulse, µs 8 10 12
EXP 2.1 2.16 2.193
En8
REG 2.2406 2.2552 2.2698
Surface Roughness, EXP 2.241 2.253 2.27
En31
µm REG 2.1049 2.1515 2.1981
EXP 2.197 2.23 2.253
HCHC
REG 2.1985 2.2265 2.2545
Table5.14 illustrates the surface roughness which is in increasing order

for the materials considered and the experimental values almost confirm with the
calculated values. An example of Regression Model for Surface Roughness of
HCHC is shown in Figure5.44.The optimum Curve Fitting for the above analysis is
illustrated in Figure5.45.
The R², the Co-efficient of correlation summarizes how well the

regression line fits the relation between Y and X. It indicates how much of the
variation within the sample is accounted for by the fitted regression line. High values
close to 1.0 indicate much variation in Y has been accounted for by the predictors -
the regression is a good fit; lower values indicate much variation still not accounted
for - the regression line is a poor fit .The values are observed to be nearer to unity
115
Figure5.44ANOVA table showing variance values for surface roughness

(output)
SSq -Sum of squares

DF - Degrees of Freedom
MSq -Mean square
F - Ratio of Mean square / Error variance
p - Probability
Figure5.45 Regression Curve Fitting for HCHC

116
Figure5.46 Residuals Plot with Histogram showing frequency of

Residuals
A plot of the residuals for each observation can be used to verify various
assumptions of the regression which will also examine how closely the computed
regression line fits the variables. Residuals should be normally distributed. The
histogram at Figure.5.46shows the frequency of residuals, with a superimposed
normal curve.The residuals are normally distributed and match well with the
histogram illustrating the satisfactory machining conditions.
5.3 Kerf Width Analysis in WEDM Process
A regression model is developed for the analysis of the kerf width. The
values obtained from experiment are compared with that obtained by computing in
Regression formula using Microsoft Excel Statistical Software using the equations:
Y=0.0065X+0.249 (En8) ............ (5.4)

Y=0.0065X+0.2557 (En31).......... (5.5)
Y=0.053X-0.1547 (HCHC).......... (5.6)
The analysis of the result is in Table5.15.

117
Table5.15 Analysis of Kerf

Impulse, µs Kerf , mm
En8 En31 HCHC
EXP REG EXP REG EXP REG
8 0.304 0.301 0.317 0.308 0.299 0.269
10 0.308 0.314 0.328 0.321 0.316 0.375
12 0.33 0.327 0.33 0.33 0.511 0.481
From the analysis it can be seen that the kerf width increases with
increase in pulse rate. Further the experimental results are confirming with statistical
values obtained from Equations (5.4), (5.5) and (5.6). ANOVA for MRR and kerf
width is illustrated in Figure.5.47.and the optimum Curve Fitting for the same is
illustrated in Figure.5.48.
Y=1.7895X +0.1941 ………………. (5.7)
From Equation (5.7), the Kerf width approximation can be known by simply
substituting MRR value observed during cutting.
Figure 5.47ANOVA table showing variance values for kerf (output)
SSq - Sum of squares

DF - Degrees of Freedom
MSq - Mean square
F - Ratio of Mean square / Error variance
p - Probability
118
In Figure 5.47, theR² Co-efficient indicates how accurately the regression

line fits the relation between Y and X. It also shows how much of the variation
within the sample is accounted for by the fitted regression line. Values as close as to
unity indicate that the curve fitting (regression fit) is a good fit and majority of the
values have been accounted for.In our experimentation the value for kerf obtained
was hence it can be viewed that it is good regression fit.
Figure 5.48 Regression Curve fitting for kerf (HCHC)
Fig.5.49 Residuals Plot with Histogram showing frequency of Residuals

for kerf
119
To find out the validity of the assumptions of regression a plot of

residuals for each observation is used, to examine how well the computed regression
line fits the variables. It is said that the residuals should be normally distributed. The
histogram at Figure.5.49 shows the frequency of residuals, with a superimposed
normal curve. The residuals are normally distributed and match well with the
histogram illustrating the satisfactory machining conditions.
Table 5.16 Experimental values of observed Taper, MRR & Kerf

En31 En8 HCHC
Impulse, 8 10 12 8 10 12 8 10 12
µs
Taper 2.116 1.6774 1.6838 1.166 0.9949 1.208 1.15 0.8155 0.553
(degrees)
MRR 0.06 0.066 0.075 0.07 0.1 0.19 0.01 0.07 0.16
(gms)
Kerf 0.304 0.308 0.33 0.317 0.328 0.33 0.299 0.316 0.511
(mm)
Scatterplot of Impulse, µs vs Taper (degrees)
12
11
Impulse, µs
10
1.7 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.1

Taper (degrees)
Figure5.50 Plot of Machining Impulse and Kerf Taper
Table 5.16 shows the experimental values of Taper Angle observed for
the cut length of about 4mm, MRR and the Kerf Width. These values are observed at
120
different pulse rate of 8, 10 & 12 microseconds. The observation of a tapered surface

is an indication of non uniform surface generation .The variation of taper is observed
to be minimal in harder material like HCHC compared to En31 & En8. MRR
increases with pulse rate along with Kerf Width.
Scatterplot of Impulse, µs vs MRR (gms)
12
11
Impulse, µs
10
0.060 0.062 0.064 0.066 0.068 0.070 0.072 0.074 0.076

MRR (gms)
Figure5.51 Plot of Machining Impulse and MRR
Scatterplot of Impulse, µs vs Kerf (mm)
12
11
Impulse, µs
10
0.305 0.310 0.315 0.320 0.325 0.330

Kerf (mm)
Figure5.52 Plot of Machining Impulse and Kerf Width

121
Figure 5.53 Micrograph of kerf in HCHC Specimen
Figure 5.53 is an SEM photograph showing the advancement of kerf in

the direction of cut. Figure.5.54 shows the enlarged view of the kerf generated during
experimental trials. Kerf widths are measured from these specimens to find out the
variations in different materials considered for set machining conditions. It was
observed experimentally, as can be seen from Table 5.16, the experimental values
closely concur with regression values calculated. Hence, this method can be used to
predict the kerf width of various materials, to find out the suitability of particular
combination of machining parameters to get the desired results.
Figure 5.54 View of the kerf width in HCHC specimen
5.4 Study of Surface Quality by Multipass Machining
Surface Roughness values for multiple pass machining are as shown in

Table5.17.It can be observed that the surface quality improves with the decrease in
surface roughness value.
122
Table5.17Surface Roughness for different Pass while machining HCHC
Average Surface Roughness Value, µm

Impulse, µs
1st Pass 2nd Pass 3rd Pass
8 2.182 1.9 1.74
10 2.23 2.04 1.862
12 2.253 2.186 1.932
Surface Roughness for different Machining Impulse

(HCHC specimen)
Surface Roughness,
2.4
micrometer
1st Pass
2 2nd Pass
3rd Pass
1.6
7 9 11 13
Figure 5.55 Surface Roughness for different pass while machining HCHC
As shown in Figure 5.55, for the first pass a relatively high surface roughness is
observed,the surface quality improves in the second pass and a steady good surface
finish was observed in the third pass.Hence it can be observed that by multipass
machining all peaks that exist on the machined surface get gradually machined
resulting in a fine smooth surface.This is a significant factor while considering
WEDM for producing components of fine surface finish. Multipass machining not
only produces fine surface finish but also avoids resorting to any finishing operation
on a different machine thus saving time, money and improving the productivity.
1st Pass 2nd Pass 3rdPass

Figure 5.56 Micrograph of HCHC Specimen –multipass machining
123
Figure5.56 shows SEM photographs of HCHC specimen for the same

working condition like cutting mode, wire tension, wire feed rate, workpiece height.
Ductile fracture is observed during machining and the overlay is more in single pass
machined surface compared to multi-pass machining. It can be seen that on the
surface of a WEDM specimen, there are many small spherical bumps and hollows
which in turn contain numerous micro holes. Between the bumps and hollows a
smooth transition exists, this gets more widespread as the number of pass is
increased resulting in more uniform surface texture.
5.5 Analysis of Effects of Machining Parameters for Different

Workpiece Thickness.
It is observed that when the thickness of the workpiece increases, a more

stable and better surface roughness characteristic is obtained.
Table 5.18 Results of machining 20mm thick HCHC specimen
Machining Surface Roughness ,

Cutting Average Total
Parameters Ra, µm
Time Feed Average
C T
(s) (mm/min) Horizontal Vertical Roughness
C08 T08 498 1.832 2.58 2.90 2.74
C08 T10 527 2.277 2.74 3.22 2.98
C08 T12 552 2.410 2.84 3.68 3.26
Table 5.19 Results of machining 30mm thick HCHC specimen
`Machining Surface Roughness ,

Parameters Ra, µm
Time Feed Average
C T
C08 T08 654 1.232 2.32 2.36 2.34
C08 T10 687 1.695 2.68 2.52 2.6
C08 T12 666 1.602 3.12 2.98 3.05
124
Table 5.20 Results of machining 20mm thick P20 specimen

Parameters Ra, µm
Time Feed Average
C T
C08 T08 540 2.234 2.69 2.63 2.66
C08 T10 549 2.187 3.43 3.19 3.31
C08 T12 529 2.268 3.48 3.21 3.345
Table 5.21 Results of machining 30mm thick P20 specimen

Parameters Ra, µm
Time Feed Average
C T
C08 T08 538 2.230 2.62 2.48 2.55
C08 T10 519 2.312 2.63 2.40 2.515
C08 T12 521 2.303 2.65 2.50 2.575
Comparison of Avg.Surface Roughness

Surface Roughness,
3.4
micrometer
3.1 HCHC
P 20
2.8
2.5
6 8 10 12 14
Figure 5.57Comparison of Average Surface Roughness values of

HCHC & P20 (20mm)
he surface roughness for the same machining conditions is less for higher
thickness as can be seen from Tables.5.18 and 5.19 for HCHC material and
Tables.5.20 and 5.21 for P20 material.
125
Comparison of Avg.Surface Roughness
Surface Roughness,
3.4
micrometer
3 HCHC
P20
2.6
2.2
6 8 10 12 14
Figure 5.58 Comparison of Average Surface Roughness values of

HCHC & P20 (30mm )
Comparison of Feed rate

Feed Rate,mm/min
2.5
2.2 HCHC
P20
1.9
1.6
6 8 10 12 14
Figure5.59 Comparison of Feed Rate values of HCHC& P20

(20mm )
Comparison of Feed rate

Feed Rate,mm/min
2.2
HCHC
1.8
P20
1.4
1
6 8 10 12 14
Figure.5.60Comparison of Feed Rate values of HCHC& P20

(30mm)
Further the roughness is lesser for P20 material compared to HCHC as

shown in Figure5.57&Figure 5.58.These factors can be attributed to the fact that as
126
the thickness of the material considered for machining is more, the area of contact for
the tool (wire electrode) during machining will be more, hence the contact at the
entry and exit points when the tool comes in contact with the work material to
perform machining will be more.
The craters caused due to wire tearing out base material from the work at
high temperatures are minimized. When the specimen is cut during time ON, the gap
between tool wire electrode and the specimen is bridged by the spark, current is
generated and the material removal work is done.
The longer the spark is sustained during time ON more is the material
removal. Consequently the resulting craters formed during machining will be broader
and deeper. This can be seen from Table.5.18-5.21& illustrated in Figure.5.57&5.58;
the surface roughness is more for higher ranges of machining pulse for different
materials considered. The feed rate generally increases with increased values of
machining impulse as shown in Figure.5.59 and Figure.5.60.
The surface roughness and the average feed rate charts can be used to
select the appropriate machining impulse, T-on value and predict the running cost of
a job with the required surface quality. This prevents the trial and error method for
the selection of the parameters.
5.6Analysis of White Layer formed on the Machined Surface
When the specimen is machined with WEDM and etched with nital
solution and observed under microscope formation of a distinctive layer which is
designated as “white layer” is observed. In EDM the transportation of tool material
on to the work material has been observed and is observed by EDXA plot in
Figure.5.61& 5.62.
127
Figure.5.61 EDXA Plot of En8
Figure.5.62 EDXA Plot of En31
.
Figure 5.63 Formation of a White Layer in Machining En8 Steel with Zinc
Coated Copper Wire.
Further the formation of a layer on the work surface is shown in

figure.5.63, when cutting EN8 steel with Brass coated copper wire. The variation in
128
composition of the layer on the machined surface and the base material below it is
shown in Table5.22.
Table5.22 Material Composition of En8 base material and White layer
En8 Base Material En8 Top Layer

Element Material Composition % Element Material Composition %
Si 0.05 Si 2.26
Fe 99.05 Fe 69.78
Cu 21.44
Zn 6.52
The presence of Copper and Zinc is evident due to the wire tool material
being Brass coated Copper wire. This clearly indicates the formation of a layer which
is distinctively of different compositions from the base material is generated in a non
conventional-thermal machining process like WEDM. The behavior of such a white
layer as can be seen in figure.5.63 is a point of interest as how it behaves with the
dimensional and shape considerations when put into practice. The present
investigation highlights how such a layer is present in machining special steels not
only En8 but also En31 as shown in Figure.5.64.
Figure5.64 Formation of a White Layer in Machining En31 Steel with Zinc

Coated Copper Wire.
129
1
2
Figure5.65 WEDM Affected Surface Layers: 1. Outermost Layer (White

Layer), 2.Intermediate Layer, 3.Unaffected Parent Metal
The microstructures of an EDMed surface are complex and differ from

that of the parent metal. As can be seen from Figure.5.65, three distinctive layers can
be identified, the outermost layer, an intermediate layer and the unaffected parent
metal. When etched with nital solution as shown in Figure.5.66 and viewed under an
optical microscope, the outermost layer which is bright called white layer is
observed. White layer is formed when the outermost molten metal is quenched at an
extremely high rate by flushes of the dielectric. Beneath the white layer is the
intermediate layer which is darker than the parent metal. The thickness of this
intermediate layer also increases as the discharge energy is raised, but the thickness
varies for different materials.
Figure 5.66Specimen preparation by etching with natal solution

130
It is observed that white layer depth for selected machining conditions of

experimentation is observed to be in the range of 2.6-7.3 µm. The depth is observed
to be increasing with increase of discharge energy as shown in Figure.5.67.
White layer depth,micrometer
6
Whit e layer
dept h,µm
4
2
6 8 10 12 14
Figure5.67 White Layer Depth for Different Discharge

Energy in Machining En8 Steel
5.7 Experimental Study on Adjustable Parameters of Wire

Electrode.
It was observed that beyond a range of wire speed and wire tension if an
attempt is made to increase the cutting speed the wire breaks leading to increase in
machining time with deteriorated surface finish. Experiments indicate that the cutting
speed increases with increase in wire speed, and decreases with the increase in wire
tension and also decreases with increase in thickness. The surface roughness
increases with increase in discharge current value.
Table.5.23Variation of cutting speed with variation of wire speed in cutting

HCHC steel specimen
Cutting speed, mm/min

Wire speed, m/min
20 mm thick 40 mm thick
2 1.5-1.6 0.8-0.9
3 1.7-1.8 0.9-1.0
4 1.9-2.0 1.0-1.1
131
Table 5.23 shows the variation of cutting speed with variation of wire
speed at 5 Amps current. Wire tension 1000 g is maintained for both 20 mm and 40
mm thick specimen. The cutting speed obtained is maximum for the specimens
considered as shown in Table 5.23.
Table.5.24Variation of cutting speed with variation of wire tension in cutting

HCHC steel specimen
Cutting speed, mm/min

Wire tension, grams
20 mm thick 40 mm thick
800 1.7-1.8 0.9-1.0
1000 1.6-1.7 0.85-0.95
1200 1.5-1.6 0.7-0.85
Beyond this cutting speed as observed in Table 5.24, if any attempt is

made to increase the cutting speed the wire was breaking, which in turn leads to
increased machining time, reduction in production and resulting in inferior surface
quality due to wire marks on the surface .From the above results it can be concluded
that, the cutting speed increases with the increase in wire speed, and decreases with
the increase in wire tension and also decreases with increase in thickness.
Figure5.68Wire Electrode bending due improper wire tension

132
Figure5.69Schematic arrangement of WEDM Process
It is observed that at low wire tension, the wire will bend as shown in
Figure.5.68 though the cutting speed is high. To get accurate profiles, the wire
should be straight while machining between the upper guide and the lower guide
in the machine as shown in Figure 5.69.During machining the wire gets slightly
elongated due to the heat developed and its straightness is lost. To overcome this
problem, the wire tension should be increased. If more wire tension is provided,
then there are more chances of wire breakage which again leads to more
machining time because of time lost due to reloading of wire. This in turn reduces
production. As wire speed is gradually increased maximum cutting speed is
achieved which in turn leads to less breakage of wire. When the wire speed is
reduced beyond 2m/min there was frequent wire breakage.
The optimum machining does not mean only the cutting speed, but the
total wire consumption should also be taken into account. The optimum
machining in WEDM is achieved only when the cutting speed is maximum and
wire consumption is minimum (the weight of the wire consumed should be less).
For machining a job of 20 mm thickness and length of cut 50 mm at different wire
speeds, the wire consumption, time taken and machining cost data is shown in
Table5.25.
133
Table5.25 Machining cost data
Wire
Time taken Wire consumption Machining
speed,
in minutes in grams cost, Rs
m/min
2 30.25 5.62 605
3 28.65 7.83 573
4 26.3 9.65 526
When the data in Table 5.25 is analyzed, the total machining cost(wire
cost + machine hour rate) is reduced even though wire consumption is greater,
therefore the main factor is cutting speed ,that is the metal removal rate. We are
getting good result without wire breakage when wire speed is high. Flushing
pressure is also one of the important parameters in WEDM. For efficient
performance of the wire, the heat developed at the machining zone, and the
material debris of the tool and workpiece should effectively be removed by
maintaining proper flushing pressure. If low flushing pressures are applied, the
wire breakage is observed due to poor dissipation of heat. Surface roughness
values observed while machining 20 mm thick specimen is shown in Table5.26.
Table.5.26Surface roughness in machining 20mm thick HCHC specimen
Discharge current , Surface roughness,

Amperes Micro meter
2 1.6
3 2.18
4 2.42
5.8 Analysis of Wire Failure
It is observed that increase in rate of machining impulse will result in

large time span for the spark contained during any cycle hence the power
consumption also will be more at different increments, as it can be seen from the
graph in Figure5.70. Though the material hardness also has a significant effect on the
rate of material being removed, the fact that all the machining is done during time
134
ON, selection of an optimal value of time ON dictates the material removal

rate(MRR) in WEDM. This pattern can be observed from Table5.27& illustrated in
Figure5.71, it can be seen that as the value of machining impulse increases
correspondingly the MRR for different tool material observed also increases. With
the result the power consumption for machining different materials also increases
respectively for higher ranges of machining impulse. This can be observed from
Table5.27and illustrated in Figure5.70.
Table5.27Comparison of Surface Roughness, Wire Wear Rate & Power

Consumption for Different Wire Materials in Machining HCHC
Surface Wire Wear Power

Material Removal
Impulse, Roughness, Rate, Consumption,
Rate(MRR),mm3/sec
µs µm mg/meter Watts
Cu Mo Cu Mo Cu Mo Cu Mo
8 2.197 2.334 4.1887 4.5695 0.152 0.098 210.8 224.2
10 2.23 2.432 4.5695 5.5850 0.238 0.128 253.5 234
12 2.253 2.681 5.0265 6.2831 0.3146 0.172 330 254
Table5.28Surface Roughness of Different Materials
Surface Roughness, µm
Impulse, µs
En8 En31 HCHC
8 2.08 2.24 2.22
10 2.142 2.302 2.242
12 2.186 2.344 2.281
Power Consumption
Consumption,watts
350
300 Cu
Power
250 Mo
200
6 8 10 12 14
Figure5.70Power Consumption for different Machining Impulse while cutting

HCHC by Copper Wire with Brass coating and Molybdenum wire.
135
MRR
MRR,mm 3 /sec
6 Cu
5 Mo
4
6 8 10 12 14
Figure5.71 MRR for different Machining Impulse in cutting HCHC by Copper

Wire with Brass coating and Molybdenum wire.
Surface Roughness
Roughness,micrometer
3
Surface
Surface
2.6 Roughness,
2.2 µm Cu
Surface
1.8 Roughness,
6 8 10 12 14 µm Mo
Figure5.72 Surface Roughness for different Machining Impulse in cutting

HCHC by Copper Wire with Brass coating and Molybdenum wire.
Wire wear rate

Wire wear rate,mg/mt
0.4
0.3
Cu
0.2
Mo
0.1
0
6 8 10 12 14
Figure 5.73 Wire Wear Rate for different machining Impulse in cutting HCHC
by Copper Wire with Brass coating and Molybdenum wire.
136
When the work is done during time ON, the spark gap is bridged, current
is generated and the work is accomplished. The longer the spark is sustained more is
the material removal. Consequently the resulting craters will be broader and deeper;
therefore the surface finish will be better. This can be seen from Table.5.27&
illustrated in Figure5.72, the surface roughness is more for higher ranges of
machining pulse for different tool materials considered, the same pattern can be
observed from Table.5.28for different materials considered.
The surface roughness obtained by using molybdenum wire is more

compared to brass coated wire.Whereas the MRR is more for molybdenum wire
compared to brass coated wire,indicating that molybdenum is more suited for rough
cutting and in multipass machining. Single component wire tool can be used for
initial cutting and a coated tool wire for finish cutting. Figure5.73 shows Wire Wear
Rate for different machining Impulse while cutting HCHC by Copper Wire with
Brass coating and Molybdenum wire, it can be seen that the wear rate is less in
molybdenum wire than in brass wire.
Thus,coated wires are suited in situations where surface finish and less
power consumption are of primary importance and uncoated or single component
tool wire like molybdenum is suited for situations where MRR is the primary
concern as in rough machining.
Table 5.29 Surface Roughness at different Machining Impulsefor bare Brass

wire and Brass coated Copper wire.
Surface Roughness, micrometer
Impulse, µs Bare Brass wire Brass coated wire

8 3.02 2.22
10 3.117 2.242
12 3.26 2.281
137
Comparison of Surface Roughness
Surface Roughness,
3.5
3.2
micrometer
Bare Brass
2.9 wire
2.6 Brass
2.3 coated wire
2
6 8 10 12 14
Figure 5.74 Surface Roughness for different machining Impulse in cutting

Table 5.30 Surface Roughness at different discharge currentfor bare Brass wire
and Brass coated Copper wire.
Surface Roughness, micrometer
Discharge Current, amps Bare Brass wire Brass coated wire

2 2.634 1.832
4 2.74 2.017
6 3.048 2.231
Comparison of Surface Roughness

Surface Roughness,
3.1
2.8 Bare Brass
micrometer
2.5 wire
Brass
2.2 coated wire
1.9
1.6
0 2 4 6
Discharge Current,amps
Figure 5.75 Surface Roughness for different discharge currentin cutting HCHC
by bare Brass wire and Copper Wire with Brass coating
Table 5.29 and Figure 5.74 show surface roughness for different
machining Impulse in cutting HCHC by bare Brass wire and Copper Wire with Brass
coating ,as the machining impulse increases the surface roughness obtained by using
138
bare brass wire is more and a better surface finish is obtained by coated brass wire
also as it can be observed from Table 5.30 and Figure 5.75 that as the discharge
current increases,the surface roughness of cut HCHC steel specimen also increases in
using both the wire tool materials, it is more pronounced in bare brass wire.
HCHC EN31 EN8

Figure 5.76 Micrograph of HCHC, EN31 & EN8 specimen
Figure 5.77 Micrograph of Brass Wire
Figure 5.78 Micrograph of broken Brass Wire cross section

139
Figure 5.79 Micrograph of Molybdenum Wire
Figure5.80 Micrograph of broken Molybdenum Wire cross section
Figure 5.81EDX analysis of Brass surface

140
Figure 5.82 EDX analysis of Brass wire cross-section
Figure5.83EDX analysis of Molybdenum wire surface
Figure 5.84EDX analysis of broken Molybdenum tool wire cross-

section
Figure.5.76shows SEM photographs of HCHC,EN31 & EN8 machining

with WEDM for the same working condition like cutting mode, wire tension, wire
141
feed rate etc. It is observed that the tensile fracture is observed during machining and
the overlay in EN31 & EN8 is more compared to HCHC. Further the scatter in the
material dispersion is observed more in HCHC. Laminated surface deterioration is
observed to be more with EN31 & EN8. These characters affect the surface
characteristics of the machined surface.
There are two types of wire rupture observed, one is due to the sudden
rise of total sparking frequency, the other is the excess of the arc
sparks.Figure.5.78and 5.80 show the cross sectional view of the ruptured wire caused
due to improper selection of cutting voltage and by the excess of the arc sparking
frequency. As shown in figure.5.78, there are many different craters on the end
section of the ruptured wire .Some residuals adhered to the surface of wire electrode
dark spots in figure 5.80.Analyzed by EDAX the residuals are found to consist of Si,
Al, Mo, Fe, etc. The relative ratio of each composition is shown in figures.5.81-
5.84.Among the compositions, Si, Al and Mo are the elements belonging to the wire
electrode, while Fe is one of the elements of workpiece. A badly insulated condition
between the wire and the workpiece or a narrower gap is responsible for the residuals
to adhere to the wire surface.
Based on this analysis ,it is considered that under a badly insulated or a

narrower gap condition, the arc sparks increase, the residuals of the workpiece can
not be flushed away efficiently by the dielectric. Thus, they adhere to the wire
surface. In addition, since the gap is too narrow, a portion of discharging energy is
absorbed by the wire electrode. Hence the surface of the wire melts due to the
induced high temperature. Because the wire is subjected to a fixed tension during the
cutting process, the melting of wire surface results in a smaller diameter of the wire
electrode. This, in turn causes the tensile stress of the wire electrode to rise rapidly
leading the wire break,resulting with, the ductile fracture as shown in the Figure 5.80
at the right side.
142
The deterioration of surface in both the wires due to high temperature

interaction at the tool-work material interface can be seen from micrographs in
Figure5.77 and Figure5.79.
Table5.31Weight loss of different tool materials during machining
Type of Wire Weight of Weight of Weight Surface

Material uncut cut wire, Loss, mg Roughness,
wire, mg mg µm
Brass 0.8120 0.7892 0.0228 2.1-3.2
Molybdenum 0.6530 0.6183 0.0347 2.3-2.9
From Table5.31, it can be seen that weight loss for a unit sample length
is more in Molybdenum wire than in Brass wire.Molybdenum wire is only suited for
rough machining as it cannot be oriented through the work zone with proper wire
tension, chances of wire breakage is more than compared to Brass wire. Because of
this reason it can be used for a limited range of machining parameters. Brass and
coated bras wire electrode has proven to be a very reliable tool material because of
its good compromise between strength/toughness, conductivity, and flushability.
Molybdenum has poor flushability, a graphite coating on the surface dramatically
improves Molybdenum's flushability.
5.9 Effect of Gap Size on the Machining Characteristic in WEDM

It is observed that when gap size is increased, the arc sparks increase, the
residuals of the work piece can not be flushed away efficiently by the dielectric.
Thus, they adhere to the wire surface. On the other hand if the gap size is too narrow,
a portion of discharging energy is absorbed by the wire electrode. Hence the surface
of the wire melts due to the induced high temperature. Because the wire is subjected
to a fixed tension during the cutting process, the melting of wire surface results in a
smaller diameter of the wire electrode. This, in turn, propagates the tensile stress of
the wire electrode to rise rapidly until at last the wire electrode ruptures therefore, the
143
ductile fracture results in many different craters to form on the end surface of the
ruptured wire.
When the machining is done during time ON, the spark gap is bridged,
current is generated and the work is accomplished. The longer the spark is sustained
in the gap between the wire electrode and the workpiece more is the material
removal.Consequently the craters that form on the machined surface will be broader
and these craters will be deeper. Because of this characteristic nature of uneven
craters irregularly spread over the machined surface, surface finish will be rougher.
(Dr.B.J.Ranganath et al 2008 a).
From Figure 5.85 it can be seen that when the gap size is reduced below
a limit, the surface roughness value tend to increase, similarly, if it is increased
beyond a gap size, the surface roughness increases. Hence a balance has to be struck
between high and low values of gap sizes so that the surface roughness is maintained
minimum without affecting the surface quality and also without affecting the
performance of the wire electrode.
Figure 5.86 indicates that the surface roughness is more for higher
machining pulse rates hence while maintaining constant gap size care should be
taken to keep the machining pulse rates at low level so that better machined
characteristics are achieved.
2.24
Surface Roughness,Micrometer
2.23 2.23
2.22
2.21
2.2
2.19 2.19
2.184
2.18
2.173
2.17
2.16 2.162
2.15
0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07
Gap Size,mm
Figure5.85Surface Roughness for different Gap Size

144
Surface Roughness for different pulse rates
2.26
Surface Roughness,
2.24
micrometer
Surface
2.22
Roughness,µm
2.2
2.18
6 8 10 12 14
Machining
Impulse,microsec
Figure5.86Surface Roughness for different Pulse Rate

Results
5.10 Design of Experiments for Optimization of Process Parameters.
In Taguchi method process parameters which influence the products are

separated into two main groups control factors and noise factors. Control factors are
used to select the best conditions for stability in design of manufacturing process,
whereas the noise factors denote all factors that cause variation.
Taguchi proposed to acquire the characteristic data by using orthogonal

arrays, and to analyze the performance measure from the data to decide the optimal
process parameters. This method uses a special design of orthogonal arrays to study
the entire parameter space with small number of experiments only.(Douglas
C.Montgomery 2001)
In this study four machining parameters are used as control factors and
each parameter is designed to have three levels denoted as level 1,level 2 and level 3
as shown in Table 5.32.According to taguchi quality design concept a L18
orthogonal array table with 18 rows that corresponds to the number of experiments is
chosen for study. The analysis was made using the popular software specifically used
for design of experiment applications known as MINITAB 14.
145
Table 5.32 Machining settings used in the experiments
Machining Parameter Symbol Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

Open circuit voltage(V) A 100 160 270
Pulse Duration(µs) B 8 10 12
Wire Speed(m/min) C 6.2 8.5 12
Flushing Pressure(Kg/cm2) D 6 12 18
The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Multiple Regression Analysis

were used to establish statistically significant machining parameters on the kerf and
the MRR. In Taguchi method, a loss function is used to calculate the deviation
between the experimental value and the desired value. This loss function is further
transformed into a signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio. There are several S/N ratio available
depending on type of characteristics: lower is better (LB), nominal is best (NB) and
higher is better (HB).In WEDM, lower kerf and higher MRR are the indications of
better performance. Therefore, the “LB” for the kerf and “HB” for the MRR were
selected form obtaining optimum machining performance characteristics.
LLB=1/n Σ yi2 i =1 to n ………………… (5.8)

LHB=1/n Σ1/ yi2 i =1 to n …………………(5.9)
The S/N ratio ηij for the ith performance characteristic in the jth
experiment is given by:
ηij = - 10 log (Lij) ……………………..(5.10)
Regardless of category of the performance characteristics, a greater η

value corresponds to a better performance. The optimal level of the machining
parameters is the level with the greatest η value.
Table 5.33 shows the S/N ratio obtained for measured values of kerf
width and calculated values of MRR.By applying the equations (5.8), (5.9) and
146
(5.10) the η values for each experiment of L18 was calculated as shown in
Table5.34&5.35.Based on the analysis of S/N ratio, the optimal machining
performance for the kerf was obtained at 100 V open circuit voltage (level 1), 8 µs
pulse duration (level 1), 6.2 m/min wire speed (level 1) and 6 kg/cm2 flushing
pressure (level 1) settings.
Table 5.33Design of Experiment using L18 orthogonal array
A
B C D
Expt. (Open Kerf S/N MRR S/N
(Pulse (Wire (Flushing
No circuit (mm) ratio(db) (g/min) ratio(db)
Duration) Speed) Pressure)
voltage)
1 1 1 1 1 0.232 12.6902 0.139 -17.1397
2 1 1 2 2 0.284 10.9336 0.152 -16.3631
3 1 1 3 3 0.292 10.6923 0.167 -15.5456
4 1 2 1 1 0.298 10.5156 0.182 -14.7985
5 1 2 2 2 0.295 10.6035 0.174 -15.189
6 1 2 3 3 0.302 10.3998 0.167 -15.5456
7 1 3 1 2 0.312 10.1169 0.170 -15.391
8 1 3 2 3 0.314 10.0614 0.168 -15.4938
9 1 3 3 1 0.310 10.1727 0.16 -15.9176
10 2 1 1 3 0.312 10.1169 0.163 -15.7562
11 2 1 2 1 0.302 10.3998 0.158 -16.0268
12 2 1 3 2 0.324 9.789 0.178 -14.9915
13 2 2 1 2 0.325 9.7623 0.172 -15.2894
14 2 2 2 3 0.342 9.3194 0.18 -14.8945
15 2 2 3 1 0.352 9.0691 0.183 -14.7509
16 2 3 1 3 0.354 9.0199 0.182 -14.7985
17 2 3 2 1 0.362 8.8258 0.179 -14.9429
18 2 3 3 2 0.358 8.9223 0.171 -15.34
Table 5.34η values for kerf at various levels
Mean η by factor level (dB)

Machining parameter
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
A 10.6873a 9.4693 ---
B 10.7703a 9.94495 9.5198
C 10.3703a 10.0239 9.8408
D 10.2788a 10.0212 9.9349
Overall mean (η) =10.0783 dB

a = Optimum level
147
Table5.35η values for MRR at various levels
Mean η by factor level (dB)

Machining parameter
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
A -15.7093a -15.1989 ---
B -15.9704a -15.0779 -15.3139
C -15.5288a -15.4850 -15.3484
D -15.5960a -15.4273 -15.3390
Overall mean (η) = -15.454 dB

a = Optimum level
5.10.1Regression Analysis for Kerf:
A regression equation for Kerf versus A (Open circuit voltage), B (Pulse Duration),
C (Wire Speed) and D (Flushing Pressure) is developed.
The regression equation is;
Kerf = 0.0746 + 0.000726 A + 0.0110 B + 0.00292 C + 0.000833 D …. (5.11)
Table 5.36Regression Table for Kerf width
Predictor Coef SE Coef T P VIF

Constant 0.07462 0.0243 3.07 0.009
A 0.00072593 0.00009217 7.88 0 1
B 0.011 0.001693 6.5 0 1
C 0.002922 0.00116 2.52 0.026 1
D 0.0008333 0.0005644 1.48 0.164 1
R-Sq = 89.7% R-Sq (adj) = 86.5% R-Sq (pred) = 78.45%
 T-the T static is computed by dividing the estimated value of the parameter

by its standard error.This is a measure of the likelihood that the actual value
of the parameter is not zero.The larger the absolute value of T the less likely
that the actual value of parameter would be zero
 P value is probability of significance. (significance test and p values are
generated for all the coefficients and for the model itself)
148
 When T and P values are compared,those associated with each independent

variable ,for significance generally necessary is a high value of T and a Low
P value .Generally T value >2 is significant.
 VIF, or variance inflation factor, reflect the presence or absence of
multicollinearity. A high VIF, larger than one, the variable may be affected
by multicollinearity. The VIF has a range 1 to infinity.
 R-Sq indicates how much better the function predicts the dependent variable
than just using the mean value of the dependant variable.
 R-Sq (adj) is an R-Sq static adjusted for the number of parameters in the
equation and the number of data observations.This conservative estimate is
used when the sample sizes are small.
 DF-Degrees of Freedom
 SS-Sum of squares
 MS-Mean of squares
 F-is the ratio of mean regression sum of squares/mean error sum of squares.
Its value will range from 0 to arbitrarily a large value
 P-probability of F value.
Table5.37 Analysis of Variance for Kerf width
Source DF SS MS F P
Regression 4 0.0155189 0.0038797 28.19 0
Residual Error 13 0.0017891 0.0001376
Total 17 0.017308
Table 5.38ANOVA of Parameters for Kerf width
Source DF Seq SS
A 1 0.0085369
B 1 0.005808
C 1 0.000874
D 1 0.0003
149
Table 5.39 Residual Table for Kerf width
Obs A kerf Fit SE Fit Residual St Resid

1 100 0.232 0.25833 0.00693 -0.02633 -2.78
2 100 0.284 0.27005 0.00519 0.01395 1.33
3 100 0.292 0.28528 0.00715 0.00672 0.72
4 100 0.298 0.28033 0.00605 0.01767 1.76
5 100 0.295 0.29205 0.00394 0.00295 0.27
6 100 0.302 0.30728 0.0063 -0.00528 -0.53
7 100 0.312 0.30733 0.00605 0.00467 0.46
8 100 0.314 0.31905 0.0062 -0.00505 -0.51
9 100 0.31 0.31928 0.00715 -0.00928 -1
10 160 0.312 0.31189 0.00693 0.00011 0.01
11 160 0.302 0.30861 0.0062 -0.00661 -0.66
12 160 0.324 0.32384 0.0063 0.00016 0.02
13 160 0.325 0.32889 0.00501 -0.00389 -0.37
14 160 0.342 0.34061 0.00519 0.00139 0.13
15 160 0.352 0.34084 0.0063 0.01116 1.13
16 160 0.354 0.35589 0.00693 -0.00189 -0.2
17 160 0.362 0.35261 0.0062 0.00939 0.94
18 160 0.358 0.36784 0.0063 -0.00984 -0.99
The p-values for the estimated coefficients of A and Bare both 0.000,
indicating that they are significantly related to kerf. The p-value for C is 0.026,
indicating that it is not related to kerf at α -level of 0.05. Additionally, the sequential
sum of squares indicates that the predictor C and D doesn't explain a substantial
amount of unique variance. This suggests that a model with only A and B may be
more appropriate.
The R2 value indicates that the predictors explain 89.7% of the variance
in kerf. The adjusted R2 is 86.5%, which accounts for the number of predictors in the
model. Both values indicate that the model fits the data well.The predicted R2 value
is 78.45%. Because the predicted R2 value is close to the R2 and adjusted R2values,
the model does not appear to be over fit and has adequate predictive ability.
150
Residual Plots for kerf

Normal Probability Plot of the Residuals Residuals Versus the Fitted Values
99 0.02
90 0.01
Residual
Percent
0.00
50
-0.01
10 -0.02
1
-0.02 -0.01 0.00 0.01 0.02 0.250 0.275 0.300 0.325 0.350
Residual Fitted Value
Histogram of the Residuals Residuals Versus the Order of the Data

0.02
4
0.01
3
Frequency
Residual
0.00
2
-0.01
1
-0.02
0
-0.02 -0.01 0.00 0.01 0.02 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
Residual Observation Order
Figure 5.87Residual plots for kerf width
In the graph window outputof the residual plots shown in Figure5.87,the

histogram indicates that outliers may exist in the data, shown by a bar on the far left
side of the plot.The normal probability plot shows an approximately linear pattern
consistent with a normal distribution. A point in the upper-left corner of the plot may
be outlier.
The plot of residuals versus the fitted values shows that the residuals get
smaller (closer to the reference line) as the fitted values increase, which may indicate
the residuals have no constant variance.
5.10.2 Regression Analysis for MRR:
A regression equation for MRR versus A (Open circuit voltage), B (Pulse Duration),
C (Wire Speed) and D (Flushing Pressure) is developed.
The regression equation is:
MRR = 0.109 + 0.000161 A + 0.00304 B + 0.00053 C + 0.000361 D…. (5.12)

151
Table 5.40Regression Table for MRR
Predictor Coef SE Coef T P VIF

Constant 0.10872 0.02119 5.13 0
A 0.00016111 0.00008037 2 0.066 1
B 0.003042 0.001477 2.06 0.06 1
C 0.000533 0.001011 0.53 0.607 1
D 0.0003611 0.0004922 0.73 0.476 1
Table 5.41 Analysis of Variance for MRR
Source DF SS MS F P
Regression 4 0.00095 0.0002375 2.27 0.117
Residual Error 13 0.0013605 0.0001047
Total 17 0.0023105
Table 5.42ANOVA of Parameters for MRR
Source DF Seq SS
A 1 0.0004205
B 1 0.0004441
C 1 0.0000291
D 1 0.0000563
Table5.43 Residual Table for MRR
Obs A MRR Fit SE Fit Residual St Resid

1 100 0.139 0.15464 0.00604 -0.01564 -1.9
2 100 0.152 0.15804 0.00453 -0.00604 -0.66
3 100 0.167 0.16207 0.00624 0.00493 0.61
4 100 0.182 0.16073 0.00527 0.02127 2.43
5 100 0.174 0.16412 0.00343 0.00988 1.03
6 100 0.167 0.16815 0.00549 -0.00115 -0.13
7 100 0.17 0.16898 0.00527 0.00102 0.12
8 100 0.168 0.17237 0.00541 -0.00437 -0.5
9 100 0.16 0.1699 0.00624 -0.0099 -1.22
10 160 0.163 0.16864 0.00604 -0.00564 -0.68
11 160 0.158 0.16554 0.00541 -0.00754 -0.87
12 160 0.178 0.16957 0.00549 0.00843 0.98
13 160 0.172 0.17256 0.00437 -0.00056 -0.06
14 160 0.18 0.17595 0.00453 0.00405 0.44
15 160 0.183 0.17349 0.00549 0.00951 1.1
16 160 0.182 0.18081 0.00604 0.00119 0.14
17 160 0.179 0.1777 0.00541 0.0013 0.15
18 160 0.171 0.18174 0.00549 -0.01074 -1.24
152
The p-values for the estimated coefficients of A and B are both very less
0.06,which can be approximated to zero, indicating that they are significantly related
to MRR.The p-value for C is 0.607 and D is 0.476, indicating that it is not related to
MRR at α -level of 0.05. Additionally, the sequential sum of squares indicates that
the predictor C and D doesn't explain a substantial amount of unique variance. This
suggests that a model with only A and B may be more appropriate.
Residual Plots for MRR

Normal Probability Plot of the Residuals Residuals Versus the Fitted Values
99
0.02
90
Residual 0.01
Percent
50 0.00
10 -0.01
1 -0.02
-0.02 -0.01 0.00 0.01 0.02 0.16 0.17 0.18
Residual Fitted Value
Histogram of the Residuals Residuals Versus the Order of the Data

4.8 0.02
Frequency
3.6 0.01
Residual
2.4 0.00
1.2 -0.01
0.0 -0.02
15 10 05 00 5 10 5 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
.0 .0 .0 .0 00 .0 01 02
-0 -0 -0 0 0. 0 0. 0. Observation Order
Residual
Figure 5.88Residual plots for MRR
In theGraph window output shown in Figure5.88, the histogram indicates

that outliers may exist in the data, shown by a bar on the far right side of the plot.The
normal probability plot of residual values shows a linear fitas shown in normal
probability plot of the residuals in Figure 5.88, is consistent with a normal
distribution.
The plot of residuals versus the fitted values shows that the residuals get
smaller (closer to the reference line) as the fitted values increase, which indicate the
residuals have no constant variance.
153
Response Surface Plot for Kerf
0.35
k erf(mm) 0.30
0.25
160
140
8 120 Open circuit voltage(V)
10 100
12
Pulse Duration(µs)
Figure 5.89Response Surface plot for kerf
Contour Plot for kerf

160
k erf
< 0.250
0.250 - 0.275
150 0.275 - 0.300
0.300 - 0.325
Open Circuit voltage(V)
0.325 - 0.350
140 > 0.350
130
120
110
100
8 9 10 11 12
Pulse Duration(µs)
Figure 5.90Contour plot for kerf
Figure 5.89 shows the Response surface plot of kerf with Open circuit
voltage and pulse duration. The prime parameter combinations of Open circuit
voltage and pulse duration on kerf can be obtained from Contour plot shown in
Figure 5.90for kerf of different targeted values, which is useful in the evaluation of
the cutting process.
154
Response Surface Plot for MRR
0.18
MRR(g/min)
0.16
160
0.14
140
8 120 Open circuit voltage(V)
10 100
12
Pulse Duration(µs)
Figure 5.91Response Surface plot for MRR
Contour Plot for MRR

160
MRR
< 0.14
0.14 - 0.15
150 0.15 - 0.16
0.16 - 0.17
Open circuit voltage(V)
0.17 - 0.18
140 > 0.18
130
120
110
100
8 9 10 11 12
Pulse Duration(µs)
Figure 5.92Contour plot for MRR
Figure 5.91.shows the Response surface plot of MRR with Open circuit
voltage and pulse duration. The prime parameter combinations of Open circuit
voltage and pulse duration on MRR can be obtained from Contour plot shown in
Figure5.92 for MRR of different targeted values.
155
CHAPTER 6
CONCLUSIONS
In ahigh technology machining process like WEDM,which is controlled

by number of machining parameters,the situation is really tough for finding the
different parametric combinations for a variety of jobs.The study is made to find the
optimum conditions of the parameters in order to get minimum surface roughness,
maximizing cutting speed,controlling wire rupture without affecting the MRR.It is
found that there is an improvement in surface finish from the confirmation
experiment with the application of regression models and optimization design of
experiments models explored during the cutting tests. The mathematical models
developed for machining performance characteristics can be successfully used for
evaluating MRR and minimum kerf width for different cutting parameters with
WEDM process.
The experiments were conducted to optimize the different machining

parameters like kerf width, deposition of wire tool material, different work piece
thickness, multi pass machining, gap size analysis, and tool material characteristic in
Wire cut EDM. The model is optimized with Taguchi method for kerf and MRR.
Further multiple regression analysis is useful to know the theoretical relations of the
different parameters that influence the kerf width.
Based on the various experimental studies conducted following

conclusions can be drawn
 In HCHC steel specimen, a better surface characteristic can be achieved during

machining, the surface roughness values for different incremental values of
156
machining impulse indicate that the values are comparatively less as compared to
En8 and En31.It is observed that HCHC and En8 perform better under conditions
of constant machining impulse that is T-ON, whereas En31 show better surface
finish under conditions of constant cutting voltage.
 A fine surface quality can be obtained by WEDM at the set conditions in
machining Brass compared to Copper and Aluminium. Uniform surface
conditions can be observed at low T-ON settings, however with increase in T-ON
value, surface finish gets deteriorated fuelled by high power consumption and
MRR. Hence parameter settings in machining with brass are to be selected for
good surface condition taking the set factors into consideration.
 Surface roughness for aluminum is less compared to brass and copper. While
machining Aluminum, better surface quality is observed at constant T-ON
condition than at constant Voltage setting. MRR of aluminum is also less
compared to brass and copper and for the same material at constant voltage
setting. Hence while machining aluminum, for getting good measurable output
parameters, machining should be carried out at constant machining impulse.
 From the SEM photographs of HCHC, EN31 & EN8,ductile fractureisobserved
during machining and the overlays in EN31 & EN8 are more compared to HCHC.
Further the scatter in the material dispersion is observed more with higher impulse
rate of T-ON. Similarly from the micrographs of brass ,copper and aluminum, the
surface dispersion is observed to be of similar in nature with brass and aluminum.
The dimples in the machined surface are pronounced with aluminum indicating
the material flow and followed by quick solidification.
 It is observed that there is a pick up of material like Zn & Cu from wire tool. This
will affect the surface characteristics and condition of cut surface.
 During machining it is observed that increase in rate of machining impulse will
result in large time span for the spark contained during any cycle. Hence the
power consumption also will be more at different increments for different
materials considered.
 Though the type of material considered for machining and its hardness also has a
significant effect on the rate of material being removed, the fact that all the
157
machining is done during time ON, selection of an optimal value of time ON

dictates the material removal rate (MRR) in WEDM. It was observed by
experimentation that as the value of machining impulse increases correspondingly
the MRR for different materials observed also increases. Thus, it is seen that the
power consumption for machining different materials also increases respectively
for higher ranges of machining impulse Power consumption for HCHC and En31
under conditions of constant voltage is more compared to other materials. Hence
machining with WEDM under conditions of constant T-ON is more viable if
power consumption has to be maintained at a lower level.
 The effect of machining impulse is observed to be more and critical in controlling
the surface finish when compared with other process parameters.
 The Material Removal Rate is not only dependent on the work material but also
on the working conditions. For the same imposed conditions the MRR is more in
non-ferrous compared with ferrous materials.
 As WEDM is a thermal metal cutting process fused work material will be
deposited in layers on the cut surface upon subsequent quenching by the
dielectric.SEM studies reveal the presence and operating conditions to minimize
this effect.This is highlighted to get optimum conditions of machining.
 It is found a distinctively multiple layer, a white layer is formed in machining
with WEDM.Selection of proper process parameters helps in minimizing the
material transfer from tool material onto the machined surface and to maintain
better surface characteristics of the cut material.
 The pulse rate controls the surface roughness on the machined surface.
 Selection of proper process parameters helps in achieving good machined surface
characteristics controlling premature wear out of wire material .Coated tool wire
show better performance capability compared to single component wires
 The surface roughness obtained by using molybdenum wire is more compared to
brass coated wire. Whereas the MRR is more for molybdenum wire compared to
brass coated wire, indicating that molybdenum is more suited for rough cutting
and in multipass machining. Single component wire tool can be used for initial
cutting and a coated tool wire for finish cutting.While cutting HCHC by copper
158
wire with brass coating and molybdenum wire at different machining Impulse, it
is noticed that the wire wear rate is less in molybdenum wire than in brass wire.
Thus, coated wires are suited in situations where surface finish and less power
consumption are of primary importance and uncoated or single component tool
wire like molybdenum, bare brass wire is suited for situations where MRR is the
primary concern as in rough machining.
 It is observed that at low wire tension, the wire will bend though the cutting speed
is high. To get accurate profiles, the wire should be straight while machining
between the upper guide and the lower guide in the machine .During machining
the wire gets slightly elongated due to the heat developed and its straightness is
lost. To overcome this problem, the wire tension should be increased. If more wire
tension is provided, then there are more chances of wire breakage which again
leads to more machining time because of time lost due to reloading of wire. This
in turn reduces production. As wire speed is gradually increased maximum cutting
speed is achieved which in turn leads to less breakage of wire. When the wire
speed is reduced beyond 2 m/min frequent wire breakage is noticed.
 The optimum machining in WEDM is achieved only when the cutting speed is
maximum and wire consumption is minimum. For machining the specimen
considered in experimentation at different wire speeds, the total machining cost is
reduced even though wire consumption is greater, therefore the main factor is
cutting speed, which is the metal removal rate. Good resultsare obtained without
wire breakage when wire speed is high.
 Flushing pressure is also one of the important parameters in WEDM. For efficient
performance of the wire, the heat developed at the machining zone, and the
material debris of the tool and workpiece should effectively be removed by
maintaining proper flushing pressure. If low flushing pressures are applied, the
wire breakage is observed due to poor dissipation of heat.
 Regression models can be effectively used in predicting possible process
parameters which helps in selecting the parameters for optimum condition in
WEDM.
159
 A precise choice of gap size compensating MRR and feed rate to the desired level
would help in controlling the surface finish. The recast layer after erosion can be
orderly refined for better surface characteristics.
 The Surface Finish is also dependent on the thickness of the material being cut.
Increase in workpiece thickness creates a more stable and better surface roughness
characteristic hence in HCHC steel it is observed that as the thickness increases
the Surface Finish is observed to be superior
 The surface quality can be improved by adopting multipass machining
 Design of experiments using orthogonal arrays and taguchi method helps in
optimization of machining parameters on kerf and the MRR in WEDM
operations.
 The Material Removal Rate and the kerf width are closely related to each other;
process parameters are to be selected for minimum kerf and increased MRR.
 The level of importance of the machining parameters on the kerf and MRR is
determined by using ANOVA. Based on the results of ANOVA, the highly
effective parameters on both the kerf and MRR were found as open circuit voltage
and pulse duration, whereas wire speed and flushing pressure of the dielectric are
less effective factors.
 An optimum combination for the minimum kerf and maximum MRR can be
obtained by using the analysis of signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio.
 The cutting voltage and machining impulse(T-ON) are the most significant and
significant machining parameters,respectively for controlling MRR.
In today’s world, the requirement is not only to produce products at low

cost, but also to produce the best quality.Hence the procedures formulated for
selection of WEDM process parameters for getting uniform kerf width,good surface
finish,MRR,better utilization of Wire electrode for good surface
characteristics,optimal cutting speed and machining workpiece of different thickness
can be adopted for practical applications.This will bring a lot of process
improvement,better production and efficient incorporation of the WEDM process by
achieving machined parts of a very high degree of surface characteristic.
160
6.1Scope for future work
WEDM is controlled by large process parameters, the fact that the

accuracy of the process is dependent on the machining parameters considered,
material being machined, wire electrode used and its size and material makes it an
highly intricate machining process to adopt to any type of application. Efforts are
made in the present research investigation to consider as many controlling
parameters as possible to get a comprehensive analysis of WEDM process. However,
the investigations are oriented by setting some predominant parameters considering
widely used tool and work materials hence some future scope can be thought of
taking this research investigation as a guiding reference.
 The present work was done by considering T-ON, machining speed, wire
feed rate and offset distance as parameters. The work can be extended by
considering other parameters like wire tension, dielectric flush rate etc.
 En8,En31, HCHC and P20 materials are considered in the present study,the
study can be extended to other materials of interest with higher strength and
thermal resistance properties.
 Machining studies are done considering bare brass wire, brass coated copper
wire and molybdenum wire electrodes, the work can be extended to find the
possible application of different wire materials for longer life and applied
load.
 The present work was carried out by considering deionized water as dielectric
medium. The work can be extended by considering other fluids as dielectric
medium for better working conditions and advantages.
 As most of the machines in use are CNC machines, taking the main
controlling process parameters considered in the research, an Adoptive
control system by optimization may be designed as it will help the CNC
controller to use optimized parameters and controlled machine tool operation
for higher production.
161
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55. Mustafa lhan Gökler, and Alp Mithat Ozanözgü(2000): Department of
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56. N.G. Patil and P.K. Brahmankar, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dr.
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57. Nihat Tosun, Firat University, Mechanical Engineering Department, 23119,
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58. Nihat Tosun, Mechanical Engineering Department, Engineering Faculty,
Firat University, Elazig , Turkey and Can Cogun’ Mechanical Engineering
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59. Nitin K. Lautre and Alakesh Manna , Mechanical Engg. Department, Punjab
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University of Firat, 23190 Elaziğ, Turkey and C. Özek, Department of
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Turkey(2005),An investigation on machinability of nodular cast iron by
WEDM,The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology,
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61. N Tosun, Firat University Mechanical Engineering Department Elazig,
Turkey,C Cogun , Gazi University Mechanical Engineering Department
Ankara, Turkey(2003),Analysis of wire erosion and workpiece surface
roughness in wire electrical discharge machining, Proceedings of the
Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part B: Journal of Engineering
Manufacture, Volume 217, pp 633-642.
62. N. Tosun, Mechanical Engineering Department, Firat University, Elazig,
Turkey, C. Cogun , Mechanical Engineering Department, Gazi University,
Ankara, Turkey; A. Inan , Mechanical Engineering Department, Firat
University, Elazig, Turkey (2003a),The Effect of Cutting Parameters on
Workpiece Surface Roughness in Wire EDM , Machining Science and
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63. N.Tosun , Mechanical Engineering Department, Firat University, Elazig,
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64. O. Dodun, Department of Machine Manufacturing Technology, “Gh. Asachi”
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corner cutting accuracy of thin parts , The International Journal of Advanced
Manufacturing Technology, online.
65. Qu, J., Shih, A.J., Scattergood, R.O. (2002), Development of the Cylindrical
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70. R. Ramakrishnan, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, EVP Engineering

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Engineering, Anna University, Chennai, India, (2006): Multi response
optimization of wire EDM operations using robust design of experiments,
The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, Volume
29, pp 105-112.
71. R.Ramakrishnan , Department of Mechanical Engineering, Panimalar
Engineering College, Chennai , India and L. Karunamoorthy, Department of
Mechanical Engineering, Anna University, Chennai , India (2008), Modeling
and multi-response optimization of Inconel 718 on machining of CNC
WEDM process, Journal of Materials Processing Technology, Volume 207,
Issues 1-3, pp 343-349.
72. Sadiq M. Alam, Mustafizur Rahman, H.S. Lim,Department of Mechanical
Engineering, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge Crescent Road,
,Singapore.' Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of
Singapore, Kent Ridge Crescent Road, Singapore. ' Mikrotools Pte Ltd., 8
Prince George's Park, 118407 Singapore (2008),Study of WEDM parameter
phenomena for microfabrication , International Journal of Manufacturing
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73. S. Banerjee, B. V. S. S. S. Prasad, P. K. Mishra(1993),A simple model to
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74. Serope Kalpakjian and Steven R.Schimid .(2003),Manufacturing Process for
Engineering Materials, Person Education Asia, pp 28-46,
75. S. Saha, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Arizona
State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA . Pachon, Lucent Corporation,
2400 SW 145 Ave, Room 4S-067, Miramar, FL 33027, USA, A. Ghoshal,
NRC/Nondestructive Evaluation Sciences Branch, NASA Langley Research
Center, Hampton, VA 23681, USA and M. J. Schulz, Department of
Mechanical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-
0072, USA (2004), Finite element modeling and optimization to prevent wire
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76. S. Sarkar , S. Mitra and B. Bhattacharyya, Production Engineering
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Bengal, India ,(2008), Optimisation of multiple responses for WEDM
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84. Takayuki Tani, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Tsukuba College of
Technology, 4-3-15 Amakubo, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan,Yasushi Fukuzawa,
Nagaoka University of Technology, Niigata, Japan Naotake Mohri,
University of Tokyo ,Japan, Nagao Saito ,Science and Nature Laboratory,
Aichi, Japan and Masaaki Okada, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Tsukuba
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93. Y. S. Liao, Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan
University, No. 1, Roovevelt Road, Sec. 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan, ROC, M. T.
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Huafan Road, Shihtin Hsiang, 223 Taipei Hsien, Taiwan, ROC and C. C.
Chang, Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University,
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University 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd, Taipei 106, Taiwan and Y. P. Yu,
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and Commerce, No. 111, Huashin St., Junghe City, Taipei 235, Taiwan
(2004), The energy aspect of material property in WEDM and its
application,Journal of Materials Processing Technology,Volume149,Issues1-
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96. Y.S.Tarng, S.C.Ma and L.K.Chung, Department of Mechanical Engineering,
National Taiwan Institute of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan, 106, R.O.C. ,
Determination of optimal cutting parameters in wire electrical discharge
machining, International Journal of Machine Tools and Manufacture, Volume
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171
LIST OF PUBLICATIONS
I. NATIONAL CONFERENCE
1. ’A Study on the Characteristics of WEDM Process’ ,19th National

Convention of Production Engineers, The Institution of Engineers(India), Mysore
Centre, October 2004,PP104-105
2. ’Analysis of Effects of Machining Parameters for Different Workpiece
Thickness in the WEDM Process’, National Conference on Mechanical Engineering
Research, Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, February
2005, PP168-178
3. ’Productivity Improvement by the Application of WEDM Process as a
Metal Finishing Operation’, National Conference on Recent Trends in Design and
Manufacturing Technologies, RTDMT 2005,Kumaraguru College of Technology,
Coimbatore , March 2005. PP36
4. ’Effect of Wire Erosion Rate on the Performance in WEDM Process’,
National Conference on Advances in Engineering Design ’, AED2005, Bannari
Amman Institute of Technology, Sathyamangalam , April 2005, PP828-833
5. ’On the Characteristics of Tool Wear and Its effect on the Performance in
WEDM ‘, National Conference on Advances in Mechanical Engineering, AIM
2005,Vasavi College of Engineering, Hyderabad , May 2005, P1-4.
II. INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
1. ’Experimental Investigation of Cutting Parameters on Surface Roughness

in the WEDM process’, International conference on Total Engineering Analysis &
Manufacturing Technologies, ’TEAM TECH 2004’, Indian Institute of Science,
November 2004.PP 53-54
2. ’Kerf Width Analysis in WEDM Process ‘, International Conference on
Advances in Materials, Product Design & Manufacturing Systems’, ICMPM-
2005,Bannari Amman Institute of Technology, Sathyamangalam, December 2005,
PP 553-560
3. ’ Analysis of White Layer Formation on the Machined Surface in
WEDM Process ‘, International Conference on Resource Utilization and Intelligent
System’, INCRUIS- 2006, Kongu Engineering College, Erode, January 2006, PP
253-256
172
4. ’Study of the Machining Zone in WEDM to analyze Tool-Workpiece

Interface’, International conference on Total Engineering Analysis & Manufacturing
Technologies, ’TEAM TECH 2007’, Indian Institute of Science, October 2007.PP 86
5. ‘Effect of Gap Size on the Machining Characteristic in WEDM’,
International Conference on Total Engineering Analysis & Manufacturing
Technologies, ’TEAM TECH 2008’, Indian Institute of Science, September 2008.PP
77.
III. NATIONAL JOURNAL
1. ’Wire Failure Analysis in the WEDM Process‘, Manufacturing

Technology Today (MTT),CMTI, A NICMAP Publication, Volume 4 ,Issue 3,March
2005, PP 7-13
2. ’Regression Analysis Approach for Predicting Process Output Variables
In WEDM ‘, Manufacturing Technology & Management (MT & M), Quarterly
Journal of Indian Institution of Production Engineers (IIPE), Volume: 1 No.1, April-
June 2007, PP 25-28.
3. ’Design of Experiments Method for Optimization of Process Parameters
in WEDM’, Ultra scientist of Physical Sciences, Volume 19(2),September 2007, PP
327-330
IV. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL
1. ‘Influence of Machining Parameters in WEDM for Different Workpiece

Thickness’,International Journal of Applied Engineering Research (IJAER), Volume
3, Number 8 August (2008), PP 1087-1090
173
VITAE
Mr.C.P.S.Prakash.is Associate Professorin Department of Mechanical

Engineering, Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering, Bangalore.He has done his
bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering, master degree in Mechanical
Engineering specializing in Production Engineering System Technology from
National Institute of Engineering, Mysore.He holds a Diploma in Training &
Development from Indian Society of Training &Development (ISTD), NewDelhi
since 2001.He is a life member of Indian Society for Technical Education (ISTE)
since 1992, Member of Institute of Engineers (India) since 2004.He has worked for
three years in Industries like Metrological Controls,Metal Lamp Caps (India)
Ltd,The Mysore Kirloskar Ltd before joining academics. During his eighteen years
of teaching and research experience, haspublished more than twelve papers in
National Conferences, six papers in International Conferences and about five papers
in reputed National & International Journals. He has supervised several B.E., M.Tech
dissertation. His teaching and research interests are in the areas of Metal Cutting,
Advanced Manufacturing Systems, CAD/CAM & Robotics, Operation Research and
Computer Integrated Manufacturing.

Cps Prakash

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A Study on the Machining Characteristic in Wire EDM

In partial fulfillment for the award of the degree

Dr. MGR Educational and Research Institute

I certify that the thesis entitled A Study on the Machining

I declare that the thesis titled A Study on the Machining Characteristic

Wire Electric Discharge Machining (WEDM) provides an effective solution

The variation of kerf and MRR with machining parameters and

The most important performance measures in WEDM are MRR, Surface

Key Words:WEDM, Machining Impulse, Orthogonal array, Signal-to- Noise ratio,

My heartfelt gratitude to Dr.B.J.Ranganath, Professor & Head of the

Department, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vidyavikas Institute of

I am grateful to Thiru A.C.Shanmugam, Chancellor, Mr.A.C.S.Arun Kumar,

Mechanical Engineering, Dr.M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute, Chennai, for

their cooperation and support.

I thank the management of Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering,

Dr.Prema Chandra Sagar,Vice Chairman,DSCE for his continued support and

I am indebted to my parents Sri.C.S.Pranesha Rao and

Smt.C.P.Shanthamma, my in-laws Sri.B.V.Sathyanarayana and Smt.B.Vijaya for their

support, my wife Smt.B.S.Radhika and son Varun.P.Kashyap for their cooperation.

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Shaping the work to the required form by removing the unwanted

Shaping of material using a cutting tool was known to pre-historic

Many researchers have contributed in understanding the process of

(around1907) conducted some interesting experiments in metal cutting mostly in the

With the advancement of technology with the resultant development of

In view of achieving higher production through consistent efforts by the

1.1 Need for New Technology:

Despite rapid technological advancements in the field of conventional

1.2 Non-Conventional Machining Process:

The conventional machining processes remove material by chip

These requirements led to the development of chemical, electrical, laser,

machining methods. There are a number of un-Conventional machining processes

Table 1.1Characteristics of Non-Conventional Machining Process

Out of the above-mentioned processes, the present research is restricted

1.3 History of EDM

The historical roots of EDM date back to the discovery of electric

With sophistication of electric sources and industrialisation, Auguste de

In the 1960’s as shown in Figure 1.1, the development of the semi-

Figure 1.1 Evolution of EDM

1.4 Theories of Material Removal in EDM:

The removal of material in electrical discharge machining is based upon

This theory suggests that abrasion of material particles takes place as a

This theory suggests that material removal in EDM operation is

This theory, best-supported by experimental evidence, suggests that

1.5 Wire Cut Electric Discharge Machining

New materials created and/or demanded by space age technology

with a high degree of accuracy, independently of the mechanical properties of the

Figure 1.2 Wire Electrical Discharge machining system

Figure 1.3 Closeview of cutting zonein WEDM

1.6 Wire EDM Beginnings

WEDM is a special form of electrical discharge machining wherein the

Figure 1.4: Generation of spark inWEDM

The tool wire is usually made up of brass, copper or tungsten; zinc-or

Figure 1.5 Path of wire in WEDM