Title: Experimental modelling and optimisation of process parameters of hole drilling by electrical discharge machining of aerospace titanium alloy

Authors: Umacharan Singh Yadav; Vinod Yadava

Addresses: Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance, Ministry of Defense, New Delhi, India; Uttar Pradesh Technical University, Lucknow, India ' Mechanical Engineering Department, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract: Advancement of new materials and machining technology has changed the domain and ranges both of aerospace vehicles, still a few problems of conventional as well as non-conventional machining processes is unresolved such as low material removal rate (MRR), frequent tool wear and poor surface finish, etc. In this experimental study, a new process in electrical discharge machining (EDM), termed as electrical discharge drilling (EDD is used to make the hole in titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) and also used altogether a new approach of hybrid of methodologies for modelling as well as optimisation of the hole made for MRR, average surface roughness (R_a) and average circularity (C_a). The used methodology comprises of Taguchi methodology (TM) with response surface methodology (RSM) for modelling and RSM coupled with principal component analysis-based (PCA) grey relational analysis (GRA) for optimisation. The obtained results indicate that applied hybrid approaches in present study of EDD process are reasonable and substantiates with facts of improvement in MRR by 30.80%, R_a by 24.81% and C_a by 26.09%.

Keywords: hybrid methodology; electrical discharge machining; EDM; Taguchi methods; response surface methodology; RSM; electrical discharge drilling; EDD; grey relational analysis; GRA; principal component analysis; PCA; modelling; optimisation; process parameters; hole drilling; electro-discharge machining; aerospace materials; titanium alloys; material removal rate; MRR; tool wear; surface finish; surface quality; surface roughness; circularity.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMTM.2015.069256

International Journal of Manufacturing Technology and Management, 2015 Vol.29 No.3/4, pp.211 - 234

Received: 20 Jan 2014
Accepted: 03 Jul 2014
Published online: 06 May 2015 *

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