Simultaneous optimization of material removal rate and tool wear rate during wire electric discharge machining of Nitinol smart alloy

Abstract

Nitinol smart alloys are finding exquisite applications in modern day engineering and have already created a dent in the fields of biomedical engineering mainly because of their noteworthy material characteristics such as shape memory effect. Because of their special characteristics, machining of these alloys with conventional methods comes with a lot of troubles and irregularities hence non conventional methods are chosen to do the same. Wire electric discharge machining (WEDM) is one such method which is known for producing specimens with better output responses. The present work is aimed at optimizing the machining process of Nitinol SMA’s by WEDM. The study considers three prime process parameters pulse on time, pulse off time and wire feed. Taguchi’s utility method of optimization was used and analysis of means(ANOM) and analysis of variance(ANOVA) were carried out on S/N(Signal/Noise) ratio to compute model parameters and the SEM images of samples machined at optimal settings were studies and compared. The outcomes stipulate that wire feed rate is an impactful parameter impacting the tool wear rate (TWR) and material removal rate(MRR).Nitinol smart alloys are finding exquisite applications in modern day engineering and have already created a dent in the fields of biomedical engineering mainly because of their noteworthy material characteristics such as shape memory effect. Because of their special characteristics, machining of these alloys with conventional methods comes with a lot of troubles and irregularities hence non conventional methods are chosen to do the same. Wire electric discharge machining (WEDM) is one such method which is known for producing specimens with better output responses. The present work is aimed at optimizing the machining process of Nitinol SMA’s by WEDM. The study considers three prime process parameters pulse on time, pulse off time and wire feed. Taguchi’s utility method of optimization was used and analysis of means(ANOM) and analysis of variance(ANOVA) were carried out on S/N(Signal/Noise) ratio to compute model parameters and the SEM images of samples machined at optimal settings were studies and compar...