EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON FABRICATION OF Al ALLOY Al6061 MICROCHANNEL USING WIRE ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE MACHINING (WEDM)

This study investigates the optimization of wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) parameters for microchannel machining of aluminum alloy Al 6061 with improved mechanical properties, which is crucial for various industries. This investigation for microchannel fabrication considers four response parameters: material removal rate (MRR), surface roughness (SR), tool wear rate (TWR), and spark gap (SG), alongside four input parameters: pulse on time (Ton), sparking gap voltage (SGV), wire tension (WT), and wire feed rate (WFR). The selected levels for the experiment are, Ton 105, 115, and 125 mu s, SGV 10, 25, and 40 volts, WT 6, 8, and 12kgf, and the WFR 2, 4, and 6m/min. By examining Ton, SGV, WT, and WFR, the research identifies optimal conditions using Taguchi-based grey relational analysis (GRA). The findings highlight the importance of parameters such as Ton of 105 mu s, SGV of 40 volts, WT of 8kgf, and WFR of 4m/min for machining Al 6061-based microchannels, offering valuable insights for future manufacturing endeavors. This research also incorporates the morphology study of machined Aluminium alloy microchannel.