Title: Optimisation of ECM process during machining of titanium using quality loss function

Authors: Shirish D. Dhobe; B. Doloi; B. Bhattacharyya

Addresses: Mechanical Engineering Department, Government Polytechnic, Yavatmal, 445001, (M.S), India ' Production Engineering Department, Jadavpur University, Kolkata-700 032, (W.B.), India ' Production Engineering Department, Jadavpur University, Kolkata-700 032, (W.B.), India

Abstract: Titanium is used in different applications like aerospace, power generation, automotive and chemical industries. There are tremendous prospective for this material in dental, medical industries and biomedical engineering. It is found that processing of titanium has various tribulations when it is cut by conventional machining. Unconventional machining of titanium using EDM and LBM has their own limitations. Hence, attempt has made to process, this advance engineering material using electrochemical machining process. This paper presents experimental results based analysis of machining-characteristics during electrochemical machining of titanium material. These results are obtained on commercially pure titanium, utilising indigenously developed cross flow electrolyte supply system. Parametric analysis and single objective optimisation has carried out based on Taguchi methodology. Multi-objective optimisation has also been made using quality loss function. Mathematical models are developed to establish the relationship between various significant process parameters and machining performance criteria during ECM. The ANOVA result shows that electrolyte flow rate, applied voltage, electrolyte concentration and initial inter-electrode gap (IIEG) are the major contributing parameters to affect machining criteria like material removal rate and surface roughness of ECM-ed titanium work sample.

Keywords: electrochemical machining; ECM; material removal rate; MRR; surface roughness; surface quality; optimisation; quality loss function; regression modelling; titanium machining; Taguchi methods; mathematical modelling; electrolyte flow rate; applied voltage; electrolyte concentration; initial inter-electrode gap; IIEG.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMTM.2014.064631

International Journal of Manufacturing Technology and Management, 2014 Vol.28 No.1/2/3, pp.19 - 38

Received: 15 Apr 2013
Accepted: 06 Feb 2014
Published online: 10 Sep 2014 *

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