Optimization of EDM Process Parameters on Titanium Super Alloys Based on the Grey Relational Analysis

Abstract - Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is a unconventional machining process for the machining of complex shapes and hard materials that are difficult of machining by conventional machining process. In this paper deals with the optimization of EDM process parameters using the grey relational analysis (GRA) based on an orthogonal array for the multi response process. The experiments are conducted on Titanium super alloys with copper electrode based on the Taguchi design of experiments L27 orthogonal array by choosing various parameters such as peak current, pulse on time, pulse off time and tool lift time for EDM process to obtain multiple process responses namely Metal removal rate (MRR) and Tool Wear Rate (TWR). The combination of Taguchi method with GRA enables to determine the optimal parameters for multiple response process. Gray relational analysis is used to obtain a performance index called gray relational grade to optimize the EDM process with higher MRR and lower TWR and it is clearly found that the performance of the EDM has greatly increased by optimizing the responses the influence of individual machining parameters also investigated by using analysis of variance for the grey relational grade.