A. D. Urade

Dr. V. S. Deshpande

Abstract

The electrical discharge machining is established as highly precise machining process for production of dies and molds among the tool makers. Surface finish has significant effect on functionality and service life of the components. Surface finish becomes key concern when unusual geometrical profiles are required to be manufactured in components. Performance of the dies and mould enhances in operational applications, if surface roughness is proper in mould cavity. In this paper, the objective is to investigate the process behavior within finish cut machining work interval which leads to adequate surface roughness by optimizing process variables. Better surface texture obtained after EDM machining results in reduction of finishing efforts and lead time. Optimization of process variables is carried out to study the effect of pulse current, pulse on time, spark gap voltage and spark discharge area in order to arrest surface roughness and thereby improve surface textures. The variation of spark discharge area is precision machining concern in correlation with other process parameters. Therefore the process parameters are analyzed through Taguchi orthogonal array 2 L and analysis of variance approch. In surface roughness analysis it is observed that, the coefficient of correlation (R value) results 87.51%, which 16 indicates good process stability.

Keywords- Electrical discharge machining (EDM), surface roughness (Ra), spark discharge area, finish cut.