Thermal Energy Distribution and Optimization of Process Parameters during Electrical Discharge Machining Of AISI D2 Steel

Abstract

The apportionment of energy between tool and workpiece of EDM is of paramount importance since it dictates all the characteristics or performance of EDM process. Our current study attempts to determine distribution of energy to tool and workpiece during EDM of AISI D2 steel using copper electrode. The influence of most significant EDM parameters like discharge current (Ip) and pulse duration (Ton) on the energy distribution was studied. Taguchi method consisting of an L9 orthogonal array was selected to study the effects of the various parameters on the output responses. ANOVA method was used to analyse the effect of input parameters on the energy transferred to the workpiece and tool and find the optimal process parameters. The experimental results revealed that the discharge current (Ip) was the dominant factor in determining the percentage energy responsible for material removal rate (MRR) and the pulse duration was the dominant factor in determining the percentage energy responsible for tool wear rate (TWR).