Study on Wire Electric Discharge Machining Based on Response Surface Methodology and Genetic Algorithm

Abstract

Wire electric discharge machining (WEDM) is one of the most popular non-conventional machining processes for machining metal matrix composites (MMCs). The present research work deals the parametric optimization of the input process parameters for response parameter during WEDM of SiCp/6061 Al metal matrix composite (MMC). Response surface methodology (RSM) and genetic algorithm (GA) integrated with each other to optimize the process parameters. RSM has been used to plan and analyze the experiments. Four WEDM parameters namely servo voltage, pulse-on time, pulse-off time and wire feed rate were varied to study their effect on the quality of cut in SiCp/6061 Al MMC using cutting width (kerf) as response parameter. The relationship between kerf and machining parameters has been developed by using RSM. The mathematical model thus than developed was then employed on GA to optimized the process parameters.