Wire Electrical Discharge Machining of a Hybrid Composite: Evaluation of Kerf Width and Surface Roughness

Abstract

In this study, the machinability characteristics of Al/B4C-Gr hybrid composite were investigated using wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM). In the experiments, the machining parameters of wire speed, pulse-on time and pulse-off time were varied in order to explaiın their effects on machining performance, including the width of slit (kerf) and surface roughness values (Rz and Rt). According to the Taguchi quality design concept, a L18 (21×32) orthogonal array was used to determine the S/N ratio, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the F-test were used to indicate the significant machining parameters affecting the machining performance. From the ANOVA and F-test results, the significant factors were determined for each of the machining performance criteria of kerf, Rz and Rt. The variations of kerf, Rz and Rt with the machining parameters were statistically modeled via the regression analysis method. The optimum levels of the control factors for kerf, Rz and Rt were specified as A1B1C1, A1B1C2 and A1B1C2, respectively. The correlation coefficients of the predictive equations developed for kerf, Rz and Rt were calculated as 0.98, 0.828 and 0.855, respectively.

Keywords

• Wire EDM; kerf; surface roughness; hybrid composite; Taguchi method

KARMA KOMPOZİTİN TEL ELEKTRO EROZYON TEZGÂHINDA İŞLENMESİNDE: KESİM GENİŞLİĞİ VE YÜZEY PÜRÜZLÜLÜĞÜNÜN DEĞERLENDİRİLMESİ

Abstract

Bu çalışmada, Al/B4C-Gr karma kompozitin tel elektro erozyon tezgâhında işlenebilirlik karakteristikleri araştırılmıştır. Deneylerde; kesim genişliği (kerf) ve yüzey pürüzlülük değerlerini (Rz ve Rt) içeren işleme performansı etkilerinin incelenmesinde tel hızı, vurum süresi ve vurum ara süresi işleme parametreleri olarak seçilmiştir. Taguchi kalite tasarım konseptine göre, S/N oranını tanımlamak için bir L18 (21×37) ortogonal dizi ve işleme performansını etkileyen anlamlı işleme parametrelerini belirlemek için varyans analizi (ANOVA) ve F-testi kullanılmıştır. ANOVA ve F-testi sonuçlarından,  işleme performansı kriterleri kerf, Rz ve Rt'nin her biri için anlamlı faktörler belirlendi. İşleme parametreleri ile kerf, Rz ve Rt'nin değişimleri regresyon analizi metodu yardımıyla istatistiksel olarak modellenmiştir. Kerf, Rz ve Rt için kontrol faktörlerinin optimum seviyeleri sırasıyla A1B1C1, A1B1C2 ve A1B1C2 olarak belirlendi. Kerf, Rz ve Rt için geliştirilen tahminsel denklemlerin korelasyon katsayıları sırasıyla 0.98, 0.828 ve 0.855 olarak hesaplanmıştır.

Keywords

• Tel elektro erozyon; kesim genişliği; yüzey pürüzlülüğü; karma kompozit; Taguchi metot

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