OPTIMIZATION OF MACHINING PARAMETERS IN

ELECTRO DISCHARGE MACHINING- A REVIEW

Gyanendra Singh1, Ajitanshu Mishra1, Dilbag Singh2
Asst. Professor1, M.Tech Student2, Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Invertis University, Bareilly (U.P)

ABSTRACT
EDM or Electro Discharge Machining is a machining process firstly used for the metal which is hard and which
is impossible to machine by traditional process. So this types of metals or materials are machined by nonconvectional or non-traditional techniques like EDM. So, Electro Discharge machining (EDM) is the important
non-convectional or non-traditional machining processes. EDM is used for machining those metals which are
difficult to machine materials like inter-metallic materials and composites. Spark erosion in EDM is the same as
having an electrical short that burns a small hole in a piece of materials it contacts. In the non-traditional
process like EDM process both the work piece and electrode materials must be electrically conducted. Intricate
profiles used in bio-medical applications, prosthetics can be done in EDM. Electro Discharge Machining
(EDM) helps in a various range of production application for complicated shapes and hard metals, small holes
with the good accuracy in various electrically conductive materials and high- strength temperature-resistant
alloys.
In the field of EDM this paper reviews the various notable work. This paper also gives future scope in the EDM.

Keywords: Electro Discharge Machining, EWR, MRR, Surface Roughness, Taguchi method.

I INTRODUCTION
Electro Discharge Machining is used for machining hard materials which is also a type of non-traditional or
non-convectional machining process. Those materials difficult to machine by convectional machining process
EDM can be used for those materials.EDM also can be used for machining difficult cavities and contours. There
are many kinds of products which can be produced using EDM with good surface quality and high precision,
like a moulds and dies, parts for automotive, aerospace and die making industries and surgical components.

1.1 Working Principle of EDM

Electro Discharge Machining (EDM) is a type of thermo-electric process. In EDM process there is spark
generated between the work piece and tool electrode. In EDM process, between work piece and tool electrode

316 | P a g e

cant be physically contacted. so for this spark generation both work piece and tool electrode can be electrically
conducted. For the EDM process electrode is the cutting tool and its cuts the work piece or specimen with the
shape of the present electrode. For connecting work piece and tool suitable power supply is required. There is a
small gap which is present between the tool and work piece. and the work piece is submerged in a dielectric
fluid. As the tool (electrode) is charge up by the supply and it brings near to the work piece. By this process two
conductors come near enough, due to which spark generation takes place between the tool and work piece and
due to this the removal of material from work piece is done. The process is continued until the shape of
electrode is formed in to work piece due to spark erosion. The basic parts of Electric Discharge Machine are,
work piece, electrodes, power supply, dielectric fluid and servomechanism. In present research work there are
various kind of tool (electrodes) are used like as, brass, copper, tungsten etc. There are many work pieces are
used for the present time research work are like Die steel Stainless Steel, Inconel, carbide Kerosene, etc.
dielectric fluid in EDM is generally used EDM oil. Between the electrode and the work piece to prevent them
from contact each other a servomechanism is used and it maintains a space of about the thickness of a human
hair.

Fig- Schematic setup diagram of Electric Discharge Machining

II. LITERATURE SURVEY
S.Narayanan, A.Rajadurai, P.Kuppan et al (2007) [1] carried out a study on the influence of electro
discharge machining parameters in the case of Inconel 718. In this work work the machining parameters are
taken such as pulse on time, peak current, duty factor and electrode speed. For the electrode, electrolyte copper
tube is used. The material removal rate (MRR) and depth average surface roughness (DASR) is a output

317 | P a g e

response measured for material. In this work results obtained from the investigation was material removal rate is
more affected by peak current electrode rotation and duty factor. Where DASR was highly affected by pulse-ontime and peak current.
Yan-Cherng Lin, Yuan-Feng Chen et al.(2008) [2] carried out a study on machined tungsten carbide (P10 and
K10) using electrolytic copper electrode with the negative polarity Electro discharge Machining. This work
found that EWR and MRR are increased with increase in discharge energy for both workpiece or spicemen (K10
and P10). Increase in electrical discharge energy so debris diameter is also increased. The heat affected zone is
softer than the base metal with the higher discharge energy.
M.A.Hassan, S.H.Tomadi et al.(2009) [3] carried out a study on influence of operating machining parameters
of tungsten carbide on the machining parameters such as material removal rate, surface quality and electrode
wear. The experiment is done on Tungsten Carbide with the Copper tungsten taken as tool electrode. In this
work, machining process parameters like as power supply voltage peak current, pulse-on time and pulse-off time
were used. STATISTICA software is used for the output result obtained from the experiments. In this work, in
case of Tungsten Carbide, the process parameters which are mostly influences to surface roughness were pulseoff time and voltage. For the high MRR one should be use high value of voltage and peak current for obtaining
the low value of electrode wear low value of peak current and high value of the pulse off time should be used.
L. lvarez, C.J Luis, I Puertar et al.(2004) [4] carried out a study on experimental investigation on influence
of Electro Discharge Machining process parameters on the MRR, surface quality, EW of WC-CO. Pulse time,
intensity and duty cycle are used as a influencing factors. In this work, In the case of tungsten carbide they
obtain a good surface finish. And the low value should be used for the both pulse time and intensity. Also in the
case of electrode wear it seen that the intensity factor was very much influential. And the finally obtain high
value of material removal rate and use high values of duty cycle and intensity.

Raghuraman S, Thirupathi K et al.(2013) [5] carried out a study on machining effect on mild steel IS 2026
using copper tool electrode using Taguchi method. In this experimental work researcher found that TWR and
MRR are directly proportional to pulse on time and current. Researcher also found that the taguchi grey
relational analysis is a very sffective technique to the optimization the machining parameters for electro
discharge machining process.
Srivastava Vineet and Pandey Pulak M(2012) [6] carried out a study on compared the machining effect of
cryogenic assisted EDM and conventional EDM by using the copper electrode for the machining of high speed
steel. In this work they found that the EWR high with the increase in the discharge current and duty cycle for
both the cryogenic EDM and conventional and they also found the SR and EWR are lower in cryogenic EDM as
compare with conventional EDM process.

318 | P a g e

Gaurav Tejpal, Baljinder Singh, Gurtej Singh, Paramjit Singh et al.(2012) [7] carried out a study on effect
of machining process parameters on the surface roughness of H13 steel in electro discharge machining process
by using the powder mixed fluid. In this work the Taguchi methodology is used for determining the effect of
different machining process parameters like a peak current, pulse on time, polarity duty cycle, gap voltage and
concentration of powder in the dielectric fluid on the work piece H13. By the results obtained from the
experiment were increasing the pulse on time and peak current leads to high surface roughness by the addition
of powder particles in the dielectric fluid this leads to surface roughness to be reduced.

C S Kalra, Kamaljit Singh, et al.(2013) [8] carried out a study on experimental investigation of machining of
OHNS Die steel by electro discharge machining process. In this study the input parameters are chosen as pulse
on time, peak current, flushing pressure and voltage. For optimize the machining parameters taguchi method and
ANOVA method are used. In the experiments it was seen that current has the large effect on the MRR of
flushing pressure and OHNS steel has the largest effect on the hardness of OHNS steel.

Reza, M.S, Azmir et al.(2011) [9] carried out a analysed the effect of machining polarity on Alloy Steel (AISI
P20 GRADE 1.2738) using copper tool electrode by DOE using L18 orthogonal array. They found the results of
this study, the positive polarity gives a optimum result for tool wear rate, Material removal rate and surface
roughness.
M. K. Pradhan and C. K.Biswas (2009) [10] carried out a analysed to uses response surface methodology to
find the effect of four controllable input variables like pulse duration, discharge current, pulse off time and
applied voltage on surface roughness of electric discharge machined surface. In this work They found that
controllable input variables like pulse duration, discharge current and pulse off time and few of their interactions
have significant effect on surface roughness.

Vasmi Krishna Pasam et al.(2010) [11] carried out a studied wire-electro discharge machining (WEDM) of
titanium alloy for the surface finish of various process parameters by using of Taguchi parameter design.
Researcher develop a mathematical model by the means of linear regression analysis to establish relation
between the process parameters and surface finish as a process response. They attempt to optimize the surface
roughness prediction model by using the Genetic Algorithm.

Satpal Kundu, Surender Kumar, Ravinder Chaudhary et al.(2014) [12] carried out a study or experimental
investigation of Material removal rate(MRR) on H13 Die Tool Steel by using Electro discharge machining
(EDM) with help of Taguchi technique. In this experiment, various parameters like Pulse on Time, peak
current and Feed rate were used to study the effect of these process parameters on MRR. Optimization process
was carried out by using taguchi technique. And the result obtained from the experimental work were as
follows: pulse-on time increases so the MRR was also increases. And Material removal rate (MRR) increases
with increase value of current and MRR decrease with the increase in the value of feed rate.

319 | P a g e

C.Mathalai Sundaram, R.Sivasubramanian et al.(2013) [13] carried out a study or experimental investigation
on machining process parameters of EDM of OHNS Steel. In this experiment, Non Shrinking die steel and oil
hardening was used as work piece and Aluminium and copper used as tool electrodes. Experimental
investigation was done on OHNS by using input factors like voltage and current on output parameters like EWR
and MRR. From the experimental investigation observed that the current increases, So MRR also increases due
to high spark erosion. Current increases, So EWR also increases because higher energy is available for electrode
wear. In the case of percentage WR, it increases as current increases.

III. CONCLUSION
This review paper gives a study on optimization of various machining process parameters on electro discharge
machining. By the research review papers, it is seen that, there is many work is done on various types of work
piece. Those materials very difficult to be machined by the traditional machining process. There are many type
of electrode are used like an aluminium and copper etc. the taguchi technique is used for the optimization
purpose. Some other techniques like a surface response, grey relational analysis methodology etc. also used for
the optimization of process parameter purpose. So from the above literature review it seen that those material or
metal are difficult to machined by traditional machining process it can be machined by nontraditional
machining process like a electro discharge machining process.

REFERENCES
[1] P. Kuppan , A. Rajadurai ,S. Narayanan, Influence of EDM process parameters in deep hole drilling
of Inconel 718 , International Journal of Advance Manufacturing Technology, Springer, 2007.
[2] Yan-Cherng Lin, Yuan-Feng Chen, Ching-Tien Lin & Hsinn-Jyh Tzeng (2008), Electrical Discharge
Machining (EDM) Characteristics Associated with Electrical Discharge Energy on Machining of
Cemented Tungsten Carbide, Materials and Manufacturing Processes, 23:4, 391 399.
[3] S.H.Tomadi, M.A.Hassan , Analysis of influence of EDM parameters on Surface quality, Material
removal rate and Electrode wear on Tungsten Carbide, Proceedings of the International MultiConference of Engineers and Computer Scientists, Vol II, March 18 - 20, 2009, Hong Kong.
[4] I.Puertas, C.J. Luis, L. lvarez, Analysis of the influence of EDM parameters on Surface quality,
MRR and EWR of WC-CO, Journal of Materials Processing Technology 153154 (2004) 10261032.
[5] Raghuraman S., Thirupathi K., Panneerselvam T., and Santosh S., (2013) Optimization of EDM
parameters using Taguchi Method and grey relational analysis for Mild Steel IS 2026, IJIRSET, Vol2.
[6] Srivastava Vineet and Pandey Pulak M. (2012), Performance evaluation of Electrical Discharge
Machining (EDM) process using Cryogenically cooled Electrode, Materials and Manufacturing
Processes, 27:6, 683-688.

320 | P a g e

[7] Gurtej Singh, Paramjit Singh, Gaurav Tejpal, Baljinder Singh, Effect of machining parameters on
surface roughness of H13 steel in EDM process using powder mixed fluid, International Journal of
Advance Research and Studies, Vol. II, Issue I, pp. 148-150,Oct.-Dec.,2012.
[8] Kamaljit Singh ,C S Kalra, An experimental investigation : machining of OHNS die steel by EDM,
Journal of Engineering, Computers and Applied Sciences, Vol. 2, No.6, pp. 39-42,June 2013.
[9] Reza, M.S., Azmir, M.A., Tomadi, S.H., Hassan, M.A. and Daud, R., (2010), Effects of polarity
parameters on machining of tool steel workpiece using Electrical Discharge Machining, National
Conference in Mechanical Engineering and Postgraduate Students: pp 621-626
[10] M. K.Pradhan and C. K.Biswas, Modeling and analysis of process parameters on surface roughness in
EDM of AISI D2 tool steel by RSM approach, International Journal of Mathematical, Physical and
Engineering Sciences, vol. 3:1, 2009, pp. 66-71.
[11] Vamsi Krishna, Surendra Babu Battula, Swapna M., Optimizing surface finish in WEDM using the
Taguchi parameter design method, J. of the Braz. Soc. of Mech. Sci. & Eng. April-June 2010,
Vol.XXXII, No. 2/ 107-113.
[12] Surender Kumar, Satpal Kundu, Ravinder, Optimization of process parameter and experimental
investigation of MRR on H-13 die tool steel using EDM with application of Taguchi technique,
International Journal of Engineering and Management research, Vol. 4, Iss. 4, pp. 162-167, August
2014.
[13] C.Mathalai Sundaram, R.Sivasubramanian, M.Sivakumar, An experimental investigation of
machining parameters of EDM of OHNS steel, International Journal of Engineering Research &
Technology, Vol. 2 Issue 12,pp. 2419-2427,Dec. 2013.

321 | P a g e