Evaluation of Electrical Discharge Machining Performance on Al (6351)–SiC–B4C Composite

Abstract

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) process is a non-conventional machining process used for the material which are difficult to machine. In this research work, an attempt has been made to determine the influence of Boron Carbide (B4C) particles on the machinablity of the Al (6351) alloy reinforced with 5 wt. % Silicon Carbide (SiC) Metal Matrix Composite (MMC) through EDM. Influence of machining parameters such as pulse current (I), pulse on time (Ton), duty factor (τ), and gap voltage (V) on affecting the output performance characteristics namely Electrode Wear Ratio (EWR), Surface Roughness (SR) and Power Consumption (PC) which are studied. The result shows that the addition of B4C particles significantly affects the machinablity of the composite, with a contribution of 1.6% on EWR, 3.5% on SR and 19.8% on PC. The crater, recast layer formation, and Heat Affected Zone (HAZ) in the machined surface of the composite are also reported in detail.