Electric discharge machining using rapid manufactured complex shape copper electrode: Parametric analysis and process optimization for material removal rate, electrode wear rate and cavity dimensions

Abstract

The present investigation addresses the machining outcome of electric discharge machining using a rapid manufactured complex shape copper electrode. Developed rapid manufacturing technique using an amalgamation of polymer 3D printing and pressureless sintering of loose powder as rapid tooling has been used to fabricate copper electrode from the computer-aided design model of the desired shape. The fabricated electrode was used for the electric discharge machining of the D-2 steel workpiece. Central composite design was employed to study the electric discharge machining parameters (pulse duration, duty cycle and peak current) effect on the electric discharge machining characteristics such as material removal rate, electrode wear rate and cavity dimensional deviation as overcut from electrode computer-aided design model. Analysis of variance was executed to attain significant parameters along with interactions. Peak current was found to be the utmost dominating parameter for three responses. The high percentage of carbon was observed on the electrode surface after electric discharge machining at the high level of pulse duration and resulted in low electrode wear rate. The high percentage of dimensional deviation was noticed at the maximum duty cycle and maximum peak current by the substantial interactions. Genetic algorithm-based multi-objective optimization was employed for the electric discharge machining parameters optimization to maximize material removal rate, minimize electrode wear rate and dimensional deviation. The multi-feature complex copper electrode was fabricated and used for electric discharge machining as the case study to check the efficacy of the optimized process. It was witnessed that the process was competent to fabricate complex shape cavity as per the desired computer-aided design model shape with efficient material removal rate and electrode wear rate.

Copper additive manufacturing using MIM feedstock: adjustment of printing, debinding, and sintering parameters for processing dense and defectless parts

“…In the last few years, several researchers have thus explored beamless AM methods for the fabrication of metal parts. Some methods combine polymer 3D printing and other conventional manufacturing processes such as casting, sintering, electroforming, and spraying [8][9][10][11][12][13]. This opens the way to the fabrication of metal parts at low cost due to less capital investment, less material consumption, and low-skilled worker requirements.…”

Electric discharge machining using rapid manufactured complex shape copper electrode with cryogenic cooling channel

“…47 The EDM parameters used in the present study were optimized to achieve maximum MRR and minimum EWR and dimensional deviation of the machined cavity as compared to the CAD model. 39 Therefore, the complex shape cavity dimensions were found to be near about the CAD model dimensions machined with the RME (ref. Table 2).…”

“…The EDM was performed at the optimized machining parameter (pulse duration = 391 µs, duty cycle = 75% and peak current = 6 A). The parameters were optimized using design of experiments approach and genetic multi-objective optimization algorithm for the maximization of MRR and minimization of EWR and dimension deviation of the EDM cavity from CAD model by rapid manufactured solid copper electrode in the previous study by Singh et al 39…”

“…However, the process resulted in low MRR and high EWR. Singh et al 39 also optimized the EDM parameters namely pulse duration, pulse current and duty cycle using rapid manufactured complex shape solid copper electrode by polymer 3D printing and pressureless sintering to minimize the EWR, dimensional deviation of the machined cavity as compared to CAD model of the electrode and to maximize the MRR.…”

Effect of Nanoparticle Size on the Mechanical Strength of Ni–Graphene Composites

“…Due to its unique properties, the idea of obtaining composite materials consisting of a metal matrix and graphene has been developed for the past decades. It was found that the introduction of graphene into a metal matrix results in an increase its mechanical resistance and strength [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]. Graphite inclusions improve the impact strength of layered carbon/Ni and carbon/Cu composites [ 11 ].…”