Magnetic Field Assisted Electric Discharge Machining of Cryo-Treated Monel 400 Alloy

Abstract

Monel alloys are pioneering materials which have exceptional engineering properties such as corrosion resistance, high toughness and show good response to cryogenic treatment. It finds uses in ship building, nuclear aerospace, missile and valve industries. These materials shows strain hardening effect which results in tool wear and in some cases tool breakage when machined by conventional methodshence, unconventional machining such as electrical discharge machining (EDM)discoverspurpose for machining of such materials. Researchers have recognized relation between electrical input process parameters of EDM process and output parameters of EDM process. But researchers have not investigated the influence of external magnetic field and cryo-treatment of work piece on EDM performance measures namely material removal rate (MRR) and tool wear rate (TWR). In vision of this the objective of present work was to study the effect of gap current, external magnetic field and cryogenic treatment of work part on MRR and TWR. Experiments were carried out by creating a 3 mm square hole on Monel400 alloys. Based on experimental results it was found that as gap current increases the MRR and TWR increases for untreated work part. For treated work part MRR increases and TWR decreases with increasein gap current. MRR and TWR increases with constant gap current for untreated work part, as magnetic field increases. For treated work part MRR increases and TWR decreases with increase in magnetic field at constant gap current.