Wire electrical discharge machining of Ti-48Al intermetalic alloys using taguchi approach

Abstract

This study investigates the wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) of Ti- 48Al intermetallic alloys. Ti-48Al is intermetallic alloys which are categorized as lightweight material, posses greater strength and toughness are usually known to create major challenges during conventional and non-conventional machining. Wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) which is very prominent amongst the non-conventional machining methods is expected to be used quite extensively in machining titanium aluminides (Ti-Al) alloys due to favorable features and advantages that it can offer. This project was under taken to study the machining performance of WEDM on Ti-48Al by using 0.2mm brass wire. The machining parameter was be studied including pulse on time, pulse off time, peak current, servo reference voltage and servo feed rate. The effect of those varying parameters on the machining responses such as cutting speed, material removal rate (MRR), surface finish and width of kerf was investigated. This study presents an attempt to determine the optimum combinations of WEDM process parameters in machining Ti-48Al intermetallic by using the Taguchi Methodology as parametric design tool. An L8 orthogonal array was employed in this study and the results were statistically evaluated using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Result showed that servo feed rate was the most significant parameter that influence the machining responses of Ti-48Al.