Surface roughness and material removal rate analyses of hard copper alloy in wire electrical discharge machining

This experimental and statistical study focuses on investigation of the effects of machining parameters on surface roughness (SR) and material removal rate (MRR) in wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) of hard copper (Cu) alloy. Experimental design was carried out using the L18 (2¹ × 3²) orthogonal array according to the Taguchi method. The process parameters considered were wire type, pulse time and duration between two pulses. Copper-coated wire and zinc (Zn)-coated wires were used as cutting tools. Analysis of the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio was utilized to investigate the effects of process parameters on the responses. Analysis of variance was employed to determine the percent contributions and significance levels of process parameters on responses. Analysis of the surface integrity and characteristics of the machined specimens was observed using scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis was employed. This study may be used as a reference to investigate SR and MRR in WEDM of hard copper alloy.