Abstract
Electric discharge machining (EDM) is a highly promising machining process of ceramics. This research is an out of the paradigm investigation of EDM on Si3N4-TiN with Copper electrode. Ceramics are used for extrusion dies and bearing balls and they are more efficient, effective and even have longer life than conventional metal alloys. Owing to high hardness of ceramic composites, they are almost impossible to be machined by conventional machining as it entirely depends on relative hardness of tool with work piece. Whereas EDM offers easy machinability combined with exceptional surface finish. Input parameters of paramount significance such as current (I), pulse on (Pon) and off time (Poff), Dielectric pressure (DP) and gap voltage (SV) are studied using L25 orthogonal array. With help of mean effective plots the relationship of output parameters like Material removal rate (MRR), Tool wear rate (TWR), Surface roughness (Ra), Radial overcut (ROC), Taper angle (α), Circularity (CIR), Cylindricity (CYL) and Perpendicularity (PER) with the considered input parameters and their individual influence were investigated. The significant machining parameters were obtained by Analysis of variance (ANOVA) based on Grey relational analysis (GRA) and value of regression coefficient was determined for each model. The results were further evaluated by using confirmatory experiment which illustrated that spark eroding process could effectively be improved.
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Recommended by Associate Editor L. Selvarajan
Selvarajan L. is the Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Associate Professor, Mahendra Institutions, Namakkal, Tamilnadu, India. He was born in Perambalur, Tamilnadu on 7 July, 1986. He graduated from Government High. Sec. School-Kurumbalur in March 2004, and from the Government College of Technology (GCT), Coimbatore with a Bachelor of Engineering in Production in May, 2008. He completed his Masters of Engineering degree in Product Design and Commerce at P.S.G. College of Technology Coimbatore in May 2011. He completed his Ph.D. in Production Engineering at National Institute of Technology (NIT), Trichy. After receiving his education, he handled classes at NITTrichy for B.Tech. and M.Tech. students since February, 2012. and then he Handled classes at KCE-Coimbatore for B.E students for one semester (Odd sem-2011). He Worked as Design Engineer at Mold masters India Private Limited (an MNC) for 1 year and 3 months. He published a total of 7 research papers on international journals. His researches were mainly focused on conductive ceramic composite materials. He is specialized in areas like, Electrical Discharge Machining, Conductive Ceramic Composites, Optimization Techniques, Design of Experiments, etc.
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Selvarajan, L., Manohar, M., Udhaya kumar, A. et al. Modelling and experimental investigation of process parameters in EDM of Si3N4-TiN composites using GRA-RSM. J Mech Sci Technol 31, 111–122 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-016-1009-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-016-1009-5