Electrical Discharge Surface Coating of EN38 Steel with WC/Ni Composite Electrode

摘要

Surface coating of EN38 steel was performed using WC/Ni composite electrode produced through powder metallurgy route during the electrical discharge coating (EDC). In the present work, an experimental investigation has been carried out to study the effect of current, pulse on-time and pulse off-time on material transfer rate (MTR) and tool wear rate (TWR). Experiments were carried out by adopting face centered central composite of response surface methodology. Analysis on machining characteristics of EDC was made based on the developed models. It is observed that the material transfer rate is more in low current and pulse duration and material removal is high at high current and pulse duration. It reveals that the sintered electrode is transferred onto the machined surface effectively during the EDC. An increase in current, tool wear rate increases but an increase in pulse on-time and pulse off-time tool wear rate increases and then decreases.