Abstract
An experimental investigation was conducted to determine the application of die sinker electrical discharge machining (EDM) as it applies to a hybrid titanium thermoplastic composite laminate material. Holes were drilled using a die sinker EDM. The effects of peak current, pulse time, and percent on-time on machinability of hybrid titanium composite material were evaluated in terms of material removal rate (MRR), tool wear rate, and cut quality. Experimental models relating each process response to the input parameters were developed and optimum operating conditions with a short cutting time, achieving the highest workpiece MRR, with very little tool wear were determined to occur at a peak current value of 8.60 A, a percent on-time of 36.12%, and a pulse time of 258 microseconds. After observing data acquired from experimentation, it was determined that while use of EDM is possible, for desirable quality it is not fast enough for industrial application.
Highlights
Hybrid Titanium Composite Laminates (HTCL) possess unique mechanical and thermal properties such as high specific strength and specific modulus, and superior strength at elevated temperature which makes them widely used for applications in high temperature components in the aerospace field [1]
The research performed analyzed the feasibility of applying Die Sinker Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) technologies to the processing of titanium graphite (TiGr) hybrid laminates
Holes were drilled through a specimen according to an experimental test matrix designed using a 3 factorial design of experiments (DOE) in order to determine the effect of peak current, pulse time, and percent on-time on the results of the finished surface
Summary
Hybrid Titanium Composite Laminates (HTCL) possess unique mechanical and thermal properties such as high specific strength and specific modulus, and superior strength at elevated temperature which makes them widely used for applications in high temperature components in the aerospace field [1]. Research into the proper settings for EDM of polymer matrix composites (PMCs) has shown that there is a very specific range of settings at which the workpiece can be machined [4,22,23,24,25,26,27]. For these materials, the matrix material is non-conductive; if the fiber material is conductive, the fibers can be used to generate sparks required for material removal by EDM. At higher currents (approximately 5 A and higher) defects such as undesirable thermal expansion of the fibers within the composite can result causing hexagonal shaped fibers, debonding between the fibers and the matrix
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