Multi-response Optimization of Micro-EDM Processes: A State-of-the-Art Review

The demand of micro-machining with a diameter ranging from microns to some hundred is rising gradually in the field of aerospace, biomaterials, electronics, and automobiles, due to its noteworthy applications and benefits in miniaturized merchandises and gadgets. µ-EDM is the well-known non-traditional method used for making micro-metallic holes with assorted benefits like its distinguishing non-contact feature and thermoelectric energy between the workpiece to be machined and the electrode to be used. μ-EDM is a modification of the traditional EDM, rendering an imperative function in the generation of micro-features on hard-to-machine materials. In recent years, both processes, i.e., EDM and μ-EDM, are used extensively for production of dies, mold making, cavities, and complex 3D structures. The micro-components are typically finished by hard-to-machine materials and hold multifaceted shaped micro-structures that required accuracy in the level of sub-micron machining. This chapter provides an overview and the theoretical study of the latest 10-year researches from 2009 to 2018 that used decision-making and nature-inspired techniques in optimizing machining parameters of μ-EDM and μ-WEDM processes.