Wire electrical discharge machining of AA6063/B4C composite fabricated by stir-casting process

Abstract

Abstract Owing to high strength, high rigidity, damping power, lower density, increased abrasion and wear resistance capacity, aluminium-based metal matrix composites (AMC) are attaining considerable popularity in various engineering fields. Because of the reinforcement s abrasive nature, the materials machining is challenging with the conventionally available processes. Therefore, non-conventional machining processes are being employed for better machining performance. To achieve these objectives AA6063/B4C composites with different weight fractions (5% & 10% by wt.) were fabricated by using economic and simple stir casting technique. Thereafter, microstructure of the prepared composites was analyzed under WSEM equipped with EDX. Furthermore, mechanical property like hardness test were performed on fabricated composites using Brinell hardness testing machine. Machining was performed using wire electrical discharge machine (WEDM) to investigate the effects of process parameters pulse on time (Ton), pulse off time (Toff), current (I) and table feed (S) and weight fraction (5 and 10%) of the reinforcement Boron Carbide (B4C) on the machining responses, namely material removal rate (MRR), cutting rate (CR), and kerf width (KW) of the prepared composites. The result shows that with the increase in Ton, I, S except Toff increases MRR. The cutting rate shows an increasing trend with increasing in S, and the Kerf width increases with the increase in Ton and I. The developed composite s morphological study reveals a uniform distribution of B4C particles in the aluminium matrix phase. To satisfy the different criterion like high MRR and high CR and less KW, the overall evaluation criterion (OEC) giving equal weightage was formulated.