Modeling and optimization of energy consumption in wire cut electrical discharge machining

Abstract

WEDM (Wire Electrical Discharge Machining) is widely implemented in the manufacture of dies and challenging materials due to its use of spark discharge to shape a workpiece. However, existing research focuses primarily on enhancing processing efficiency, accuracy, and quality, with limited investigation into energy conservation and emissions reduction during processing. This paper constructs an energy consumption model to forecast energy usage during electric machining and proposes a low energy consumption optimization model founded on processing parameters. A case study revealed that the energy consumption model is 98.06 % accurate throughout the processing process and at least 92 % precise in predicting energy consumption for a single process. Upon utilizing the low energy consumption optimization model, the results show a reduction in energy consumption and carbon emissions by 11.5 % and 5.74 %, respectively, compared to traditional methods. The models presented in this paper can enhance EDM machining efficiency while concurrently minimizing energy consumption and carbon emissions, thereby supporting the adoption of energy-saving and efficient practices in electric machining.