Review on Current Research Trends in Wire Electrical Discharge Machining (WEDM)

Abstract

Wire-electro discharge machining (WEDM) has become an important non-traditional machining process, as it provides an effective solution for producing components made of difficult-to-machine materials like titanium, zirconium, etc., and intricate shapes, which are not possible by conventional machining methods. Due to large number of process parameters and responses lots of researchers have attempted to model this process. This paper reviews the research trends in WEDM on relation between different process parameters, include pulse on time, pulse off time, servo voltage, peak current, dielectric flow rate, wire speed, wire tension on different process responses include material removal rate (MRR), surface roughness (Ra), sparking gap (Kerf width), wire lag (LAG) and wire wear ration (WWR) and surface integrity factors. Furthermore, different types of WEDM methods introduced and discussed. In addition the paper highlights different modelling and optimization methods and discussed their advantage and disadvantage. The final part of the paper includes some recommendations about the trends for future WEDM researches.