Title: Comparative study of tool wear rate with conventional and cryogenically treated electrode in electrical discharge drilling

Authors: Rakesh Kumar; Anand Pandey; Pooja Sharma

Addresses: Department of Automobile Engineering, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur, 303007, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur, 303007, India ' Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur, 303007, India

Abstract: Cryogenically treated electrically conductive tool-electrodes have been used for machining of super alloys. This enhanced and modifies the properties of tool-electrode, which improves machinability of EDMed alloys. Present study determines the effects of cryogenic treatment on performance of Cu-electrode for hole making on Inconel-718 super alloy. Cu-tool electrodes (having helical-threads) have being given rotational motion for effective flushing of debris, reducing formation of recast layer with less tool wear. EDM performance measure viz. tool wear rate has been evaluated against the variation of tool diameter, discharge current, pulse-on time, pulse-off time, tool rotation and depth of hole using Taguchi's method. The results reported that hole depth and discharge current are the two most significant process parameters effecting tool wear rate (TWR). It is also found that tool wear rate obtained lesser for cryogenically treated tool electrode.

Keywords: electrical discharge machining; EDM; electro-discharge drilling; EDD; Taguchi; Inconel 718; cryogenic treatment; tool wear rate; TWR; copper.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMATEI.2018.097300

International Journal of Materials Engineering Innovation, 2018 Vol.9 No.4, pp.322 - 344

Received: 21 Nov 2017
Accepted: 09 Jun 2018
Published online: 11 Jan 2019 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article