Assessment of Machining of Hastelloy Using WEDM by a Multi-Objective Approach

Abstract

Superalloys are a much-needed material for abundant engineering fields, such as nuclear-powered reactor components and aeronautics. Owing to their exceptional characteristics, such as higher thermal conductivity, they can be difficult to machine using conventional processes. Modern approaches to machining have evolved to utilize these materials. One of the techniques studied in this project is electrical discharge in a wire machine. This process can help to reduce the energy consumption during machining and negative impact on the environment. In addition, shortening the operation time of the machine can help to minimize its impact on the environment. The duration of the pulse and applied current are independent factors considered in this study. Material removal rate, surface roughness, dimensional deviation, and form/orientation tolerance errors are deemed as performance measures. The goal of this investigation is to reduce the time required to machine and improve the surface finish of components by implementing a Grey-based artificial neural network model. This method is useful in foretelling the conditions of the Wire Electro Discharge Machining (WEDM) process. This paper uses the Taguchi design and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) framework to analyze the model’s variable inputs. The overall best coefficient of correlation (R = 0.9981) is fetched with an RMSE value of 0.0086. The material removal rate has been increased by decreasing the time taken for removal, which gives the possibility of consuming minimum energy. The finishing of the machined surface also improved. Moreover, this paper shows how to use an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model with Grey Analysis. The results of the comparative analysis show that the values envisaged are closer with the actual values. The foretelling capacity of the evolved model is confirmed with the performance analysis of the developed model.