Thermal Stress Analysis of XW-42 Steel Workpiece Using Finite Element Modeling

Abstract

Electric discharge machine (EDM) is a non-conventional machining process, usually used for machining of hard materials. In this process, material removes due to spark generation between tool and workpiece. High heat generates at the spark zone radius, resulting in thermal stresses in the workpiece. If this thermal stress approaches the yield stress value of material, creates micro-cracks and catastrophic failure etc. XW-42 steel has been used as a workpiece for thermal analysis. ANSYS Workbench 15.0 is used for the analysis, in which coupled custom system is chosen for the calculation of stress concentration values. Also, this study reveals the influence of input parameters like current intensity, voltage gap and duty factor on equivalent stress. It is seen that equivalent stress occur in the central spark zone of the tool and workpiece. Response output parameters are prominently affected by the current density. By evaluating the optimum values of temperature, equivalent stress and strain, total deformation, the input process parameters can be controlled to the desired values, results in less stress concentration occurs, so that the damage to the workpiece can be reduced.