Surface integrity analysis of surfaces of nickel-based alloys machined with distilled water and aluminium powder-mixed dielectric fluid after WEDM

摘要

Surface integrity of machined surfaced plays a significant role in altering the tribological, chemical, and mechanical behaviour of materials in heat resistant environments. Out of various non-traditional machining processes, wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) is more efficient for material removal process using electrical sparks to give desire geometry irrespective of the hardness of the material. In the present study, the experimental results of machined surface of Monel 400 by WEDM are presented after rough cut and trim cut with and without aluminium metal powders in distilled water. The surface morphology of machined surfaces was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Surface characteristics exhibited that trim cut operations itself are beneficial to reduce the recast layer thickness up to 43 in comparison to the recast layer of surfaces machined at low and high discharge parameters. The use of aluminium metal powder in a dielectric fluid showed a noticeable improvement in surface textures of the surfaces machined with trim cut operation as compared to the surfaces machined with distilled water as a dielectric only.