Multi-objective optimization of WEDM taper cutting process using MOPSO based on crowding distance

Abstract

Abstract Technological advancement of wire electrical discharge machining process has been improved significantly to meet the requirements in various manufacturing fields especially for the production of parts with complex geometry in the precision die industry. Taper cutting is an important application of WEDM process aiming at generating complex parts with tapered profiles. Taper cutting operation in WEDM is treated as a challenging task because improving of more than one machining performance measures such as angular error (AE) and surface roughness (SR) are sought to obtain a precision work. Using Taguchi’s parameter design approach, experiments were conducted considering part thickness, taper angle, pulse duration, discharge current, wire speed and wire tension as the input parameter to minimizing AE and SR. It has been observed that a combination of factors for optimization of each performance measure is different. In this present approach, the relationship between the input factors and responses are established by means of a non-linear regression analysis, resulting in a valid mathematical model. Multiple objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) based on crowding distance concept has been implemented to optimize the wire electrical discharge machining process parameters during taper cutting operation. MOPSO has results a large number of non-dominated solutions.