Surface modification of C40 steel using WC-Cu P/M green compact electrodes in EDM

This study deals with surface modification of C-40 grade steel using P/M (powder metallurgy) green compacts of WC?Cu mixture as the EDM tool during a die sinking operation in hydrocarbon dielectric fluid. An L8 Taguchi array is used to investigate the process by varying tool parameters like composition and compaction pressure and EDM operating parameters like polarity, peak-current and pulse-duration. An optimal condition, for getting a uniform layer over the surface, is achieved using OEC (overall evaluation criteria). At the optimum condition, a layer thickness of 48.9μm and an increase in hardness up to 1632Hv are achieved.

[1]  Naotake Mohri,et al.  Formation of Composite Layer Containing TiC Precipitates by Electrical Discharge Alloying , 1997 .

[2]  Mathews P. Samuel,et al.  Power metallurgy tool electrodes for electrical discharge machining , 1997 .

[3]  Wansheng Zhao,et al.  Surface modification process by electrical discharge machining with a Ti powder green compact electrode , 2002 .

[4]  Y. S. Wong,et al.  Solidification microstructure of electrodischarge machined surfaces of tool steels , 1991 .

[5]  P. Dumas,et al.  Investigation into Application of Electrodischarge Machining as Steel Surface Modification Technique , 1998 .

[6]  David K. Aspinwall,et al.  Workpiece surface modification using electrical discharge machining , 2003 .

[7]  J. S. Soni,et al.  Experimental investigation on migration of material during EDM of die steel (T215 Cr12) , 1996 .

[8]  Naotake Mohri,et al.  Metal Surface Modification by Electrical Discharge Machining with Composite Electrode , 1993 .

[9]  Naotake Mohri,et al.  Surface modification of aluminum by electrical discharge alloying , 1994 .

[10]  N. Mohri,et al.  Planarization of a Layer Made by Using Electrical Discharge Machining , 2003 .

[11]  J. Lebrun,et al.  Influence of EDM pulse energy on the surface integrity of martensitic steels , 1998 .

[12]  Kamlakar P Rajurkar,et al.  Quantitative Expressions for Some Aspects of Surface Integrity of Electro Discharge Machined Components , 1984 .

[13]  M. Shunmugam,et al.  Improvement of wear resistance by EDM with tungsten carbide P/M electrode , 1994 .

[14]  David K. Aspinwall,et al.  Surface alloying using PM composite electrode materials when electrical discharge texturing hardened AISI D2 , 2002 .

[15]  Richard Craig Van Nostrand,et al.  Design of Experiments Using the Taguchi Approach: 16 Steps to Product and Process Improvement , 2002, Technometrics.

[16]  D. Aspinwall,et al.  Electrical discharge surface alloying , 2004 .

[17]  R. Flükiger,et al.  Microstructure at submicron scale of the white layer produced by EDM technique , 2004 .

[18]  M. S. Shunmugam,et al.  Surface modification in electrodischarge processing with a powder compact tool electrode , 1991 .

[19]  Biing-Hwa Yan,et al.  EDM performance of Cr/Cu-based composite electrodes , 2003 .