Development of Firefly Algorithm Interface for Parameter Optimization of Electrochemical-Based Machining Processes

Abstract

Manufacturing of micro complex profiles is a challenging task which is time consuming and expensive. The optimum parameter setting of machining process is essential to obtained desired profile on the workpiece with higher material removal rate. To achieve this purpose, a graphical user interface (GUI) is developed that associates metaheuristic technique, the firefly algorithm (FA). The developed GUI can be used effectively by the user for obtaining the optimal solution of non-traditional machining (NTM) processes. The GUI is tested on three NTM processes, namely electrochemical machining (ECM), electrochemical micro-machining (EMM), and electrochemical turning (ECT) and the results show the effectiveness of interface accompanying with the considered FA algorithm. The results for ECM, EMM, and ECT processes obtained using the considered metaheuristics techniques are compared with other algorithms, such as genetic algorithm (GA), artificial bee colony (ABC), and biogeography-based algorithm (BBO). It is observed that the value of MRR is improved by 12.3%, 78.7%, and 20.5% with respect to BBO algorithm in ECM, EMM, and ECT process, respectively. Similarly, the response value of surface characteristics like width overcut, linear overcut, surface roughness, and roundness error is reduced to negligible in the considered processes.