Optimization of Electric Discharge Machining Process Parameters for H13 Steel by Using Taguchi Method

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is the most versatile non-traditional machining process which is used for manufacturing geometrically complex and hard material that is extremely difficult to machine by conventional machining processes. As it is non-contact machining process, no or negligible amount of forces are acted on the workpiece so that it can machine any material irrespective of its hardness except non-conducting materials. In this investigation, the process parameters such as peak current, pulse on time, and gap voltage of EDM were experimentally optimized to obtain the optimum machining characteristics enumerated as material removal rate (MRR) and electrode wear rate (EWR) by using Taguchi technique for machining H13 steel. The obtained results were analyzed by using analysis of variance (ANOVA) to identify the significance of each process parameter on the machining characteristics of EDM. The analysis of Taguchi method reveals that pulse on time and peak current have significantly affected the material removal rate and electrode wear rate.