Multi-objective optimization of machining characteristics during wire electrical discharge machining of Al/ZrO2- particulate reinforced metal matrix composite

This paper presents an experimental investigation of the machining characteristics and the effect of wire EDM process parameters during machining of newly developed Al/ ZrO2 particulate reinforced metal matrix composite (PRMMC) material. Central composite design (CCD) of response surface methodology (RSM) considering full factorial approach has been used to design the experiment. Experiments have been carried out in order to optimise the input parameters such as pulse width, time between pulses, servo control mean reference voltage, short pulse time, wire feed rate and wire mechanical tension for performance measures such as cutting velocity and surface roughness. The multi-optimization results obtained by initial parameters setting, response surface methodology and grey relational techniques have been compared and validated by confirmation experiments. The comparison of performance characteristics using different wire electrodes has also been presented in this paper. The experimental results of performance characteristics have proved that newly developed MMC can be machined effectively by wire EDM.