Performance evaluation of Cu-W-Si green P/M composite electrode for surface modification of P20+Ni steel using electrical discharge machine

Abstract

The current experimental research is being carried out to investigate the correlation between the process parameter of the electrical discharge machine (EDM) with the composite electrode (Cu-W-Si) produced through the process of powder metallurgy (P/M). The experiments on P20+Ni die steel were planned and performed using the rotatable second-order central composite design (CCD). The mathematical response model was obtained through response surface methodology. MRR, TWR and SR have been studied on the significance of compaction pressure (Cp), peak current (Ip), pulse-on time (Ton) and duty cycle (τ). ANOVA was conducted to investigate the contribution percentage of the parameters. The optimal set of process parameters was obtained using a multi-objective optimisation technique called 'composite desirability'. The predicted results of responses were confirmed with the experimental results. The reasonable agreements between predicted and experimental results of MRR and TWR have been obtained with error lying within 5.19% and −3.33% respectively.