Electric Discharge Machining of Cryo-Treated NiTi Alloys

Abstract

NiTi alloys possess superior material properties such as high specific strength, high corrosion resistance, high wear resistance and high anti-fatigue property. Due to these properties it is difficult to machine these alloys using conventional machining process. Nowadays non-conventional machining processes are widely used for machining such adavanced materials. Electrical Discharge machining (EDM) is one such non-conventional process, which can machine electrically conductive materials of any hardness values. Present study aims at drilling mesoscale 3 mm square holes on NiTi alloy by varying the electrical parameters namely, gap current, pulse on time and pulse off time. Additional, the present work includes finding out the effect of cryogenic treatment of NiTi work material on electrical discharge machining performance measures namely material removal rate (MRR) and tool wear rate (TWR). Based on experiments conducted, it can be concluded that with increase in current both material removal rate and tool wear rate increases. It is also noted that cryo-treatment of workpiece material improves MRR with respect to gap current. Similarly there is an increase in MRR with respect to pulse on time and pulse off time for cryo-treated workpiece material. There is a slight improvement of TWR with respect to gap current, pulse on time and pulse off time for cryo-treated workpiece material.