Effects of Wire Electro-Discharge Machining Process Parameters on the Machined Surface of Ti50Ni49Co1 Shape Memory Alloy

Wire electro-discharge machining is one of the advanced machining processes which can machine all conductive materials without changing their internal properties. Pulse on time and servo voltage are the most influential process parameters of wire electro-discharge machining. In the present study, attempts have been made to study the effects of these process parameters on the machined surface of Ti50Ni49Co1 shape memory alloy by adopting a two process parameters experimental design approach. Cutting speed and surface roughness were considered as output parameters; surface crack density, microhardness and XRD analysis were carried out at the higher and lower values of these parameters. Higher surface crack density has been found at high values of cutting speed (125 s pulse on time and 20 V servo voltage) while it is lower at the lower value of cutting speed (105 s pulse on time and 60 V servo voltage). Moreover, a harder surface was found near the machined surface. By XRD analysis it was found that the crystal size of the WED machined surface was reduced at high T-on and lower SV.