Wire cut Electro Discharge Machining is a process in which removal of material
takes place by spark erosion of workpiece. In micro-wire electrical discharge
machining (micro-WEDM), the machined kerf width varies with different machining parameters, which greatly influences the machining precision. In order to study the kerf variations in micro-WEDM, the mathematical model of wire lateral vibration in machining process is established and its analytical solution is obtainedKerf Width is an important parameter in analysis of WEDM. It is used to produce complex shapes and small holes, which are impossible to machine by traditional methods. It is commonly used for machining of very hard and tough materials such as tool steels, carbides, finishing parts for surgical, automotive and aerospace industries, etc. Kerf Width is considered as an important parameter in analysis of WEDM. Kerf is defined as the width of material that is removed in a machining process. It has a direct impact during machining of costlier materials. So, the Kerf Width has to be as minimal to reduce the losses of machining. Wire cut Electro Discharge Machining is a process in which removal of material takes place by spark erosion of workpiece. Spark Erosion of workpiece material is carried out by spark induced. A channel of plasma generated by electric sparks between two conductive materials (i.e. wire electrode and the workpiece). This channel of plasma converted into thermal energy at a temperature range of 8000OC to 12000OC at a pulsating direct current input supply. Kerf Width is an important parameter in analysis of WEDM. It is used to produce complex shapes and small holes, which are impossible to machine by traditional methods. It is commonly used for machining of very hard and tough materials such as tool steels, carbides, finishing parts for surgical, automotive and aerospace industries, etc. The electrode and work piece separated by a small gap are immersed in dielectric fluid. When the pulsating current is turned on generates an electric spark in small gap, which erode the work piece material. As the pulsating current is turned off, the plasma breaks down which leads to sudden reduction in the temperature and eroded particles forms small microscopic debris. The eroded debris flushed away with the help of dielectric fluid. With each electric spark discharge a small crater is formed on both the work piece and the electrode which is a prime decider in the final surface quality. In WEDM process de-ionized water is used as the dielectric fluid which acts as insulator. Normal water contains minerals which may be too conductive for WEDM process, in order to control the water conductivity; water is de-ionized by passing it through a resin tank which eliminates the conductive elements of water. This deionized water is circulated with the help of a pump. As the machining operation is performed, conductivity of water rises and it is again recirculated through the resin tank. Fig 1 : Schematic representation of Wire Cut EDM process Hang Tuah Jaya, 2014, investigated the cutting parameter on Kerf width using wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) of Inconel 718. The effect of three numerical parameters namely the voltage gap, feed rate and current are studied. Response surface methodology was selected as designs of experiment (DOE). ANOVA shows that feed rate significantly affects the size of Kerf width compared to other parameters. The optimization is done after the experiment has been validated by using the random parameter and optimized parameter. Roan M Kirwin, et al., 2018(ASME approved), investigated the effect of two non- electrical parameters, wire tension and wire feed rate while machining Ti-6Al-4V in wire EDM by designing a complex geometry. The complex designed shape consisted of 3 different angles (45O, 90O and 112.5O) to investigate the error while angle or corner cutting. In addition, the complex geometry also includes a thin wall section to study the inaccuracies in kerf width. Workpiece of two different thickness were machined to study how these experimental parameters coupled with workpiece thickness can affect profile accuracy. Di Shichun, et al., 2009, analysed the kerf width in micro-WEDM, which is composed of 2 main parts: breakdown distance and the wire vibration amplitude. The wire lateral vibration model in micro-WEDM process is built and the relationship between the machining parameters and wire vibration amplitude is analysed. It explained the variety of kerf width in the micro-WEDM process. It can be used as the theoretical foundation for the kerf width control system. The open voltage not only determines the breakdown distance but also affects the wire vibration in the process and it is demonstrated to be a key factor to influence the kerf width in micro-WEDM. In order to improve the machining precision, open voltage can be chosen to the main parameter in the kerf width control. Anshuman Kumar Sahu and Siba Sankar Mahapatra, 2018(ASME approved), investigated the electrical discharge machining of titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) using AlSi10Mg tool electrode prepared via SLS process and copper and brass tool electrodes. The following outcomes of the research work is as follows: 1. Better EDM performance can be achieved by decreasing discharge current and pulse-on-time with the use of AlSi10Mg RP electrode. Soham S. Mujumdar, et al., 2016(ASME approved), investigated the effect of dielectric conductivity on the dielectric breakdown, plasma characteristics, and material removal in micro-EDM process via a combination of modeling and experimental approach. Single discharge experiments have been carried out using water with different electrical conductivities as the dielectric medium. Using the discharge voltage and current waveforms captured during each discharge, breakdown characteristics of water at different electrical conductivities have been studied. Also, the resulting craters have been analyzed to study the effect of the conductivity on the material removal in micro-EDM. An enhanced micro-EDM plasma model has been developed to predict the effect of dielectric conductivity on micro-EDM plasma by including the plasma chemistry resulting from the presence of Sodium Chloride (NaCl) in water. The following outcomes of the research work is as follows: 1. Simulation experiments were carried out to obtain model based predictions of the effect of dielectric conductivity on dielectric breakdown and micro-EDM plasma characteristics, viz., electron density, temperature, heat flux, plasma resistance, and discharge energy. The model-based predictions of the breakdown characteristics of water at different conductivities are compared with the experimental results. 2. Zero-dimensional micro-EDM plasma model for saline water predicts that an increase in dielectric conductivity increases the electron density and heat flux at the anode from the micro-EDM plasma, whereas it decreases the electron temperature, plasma resistance, and the total energy of the discharge. Farnaz Nourbakhsh, et al., 2013, studied the influence of zinc-coated brass wire on the performance of WEDM is compared with high-speed brass. Also, the effect of process parameters on the process performance was determined by performing experiments under different machining conditions. The following are the outcomes of their research work: 1. Experimental results of WEDM of titanium indicate peak current and pulse width have significant effect on cutting speed and surface roughness. M. Durairaj, et al., 2013, had done the experimental investigation on wire electrical discharge machining of Stainless Steel (SS304) has been done using brass wire of 0.25mm. The following are the outcomes: The objectives such as surface roughness and kerf width are optimized using a single objective taguchi method and multi objective grey relational analysis and the same has been validated with the experimental results. Adeel Ikram, et al., 2013, studied the the effect and optimization of eight process parameters on three response variables namely surface roughness, kerf and MRR is carried out using Taguchi’s design of experiment followed by comprehensive statistical analyses (ANOVA and S/N ratio) to identify the key factors affecting stated response variables. Moreover, mathematical models (multiple linear regression and additive) are developed to establish the relationship between control factors and performance measures. For kerf, the significant factors are pulse on- time, wire tension and open voltage. 4. More research and experimentation with new combinations of core and coating materials are needed for improving the machining efficiency, since existing wires do not fulfil all requirements. Harsimran Singh and Harmesh Kumar, 2015, have proved that WEDM is an adequate machining process to machine aluminium matrix composites with good surface finish and dimensional precision. Machining rate of composite is significantly affected by the kind of reinforcement. To investigate the influence of reinforcement research work is important but the influence of % volume of reinforcement cannot be predicted. Mostly silicon carbide (SiC) reinforced Aluminium Matrix Composites(AMCs) have been used in WEDM process for machining purposes. In most of the research work, optimization of the process parameters has been focussed on electrical parameters, whereas non-electrical parameters like flushing pressure, dielectric conductivity, workpiece rotation and electrode rotation are equally important