ETAM 2010

DEVELOPMENT OF MULTI OBJECTIVE OPTIMIZATION

MODEL FOR ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE MACHINING
(EDM)
N. Harikannan Asst. Prof.
R.Murali Krishnan, C.Senthil kumar, V.Vigneswaran, T.Vinodh
Department of Mechanical Engineering
PSNA College of Engineering and Technology,
\Dindigul-624622,
India.
Email: kannan.me@gmail.com

Abstract
The paper investigates the parameter optimization of an electrical discharge machining
process for improving the cutting performance. A suitable selection of machining parameters
for the EDM process relies heavily on the operator’s technologies and experience because of
their numerous and diverse range. In this paper, voltage, peak current, pulse-on time and gap
current are considered as machining parameters and the major performance characteristics
selected to evaluate the process are metal removal rate, electrode wear and surface
roughness. By applying grey relational analysis, the grey grade is evaluated to represent the
multi objective model. Multiple regression models have been developed to map the
relationship between process parameters and objectives in terms of grade. The predicted
grade is found and then the percentage deviation between the experimental grade and
predicted grade is calculated for each model. The average percentage deviations for the data
of the linear regression model and logarithmic transformation model, excluding interaction
terms are examined. Based on the testing results of grey relational analysis, the optimal
process parameters are identified. Finally, ANOVA is used to identify the significance of
multiple regression model.

Keywords: Electrical Discharge Machining, Grey Relational Analysis, Regression Model,

Analysis of variance

1. INTRODUCTION

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is a thermo electric process, which produces

innumerable sparks between the tool electrode and the work piece [1]. Electrical
discharge machining (EDM) processes are now gaining in popularity, since many
complex 3D shapes can be machined using a simple shaped tool eletrode. The pair
of electrodes is sunken into a dielectric fluid and open voltage is applied. A
servomechanism maintains a space of about the thickness of a human hair between
the electrode and the work, preventing them from contacting each other as shown in
Fig. 1. Both parts are placed very close with the gap distance of the order of μm, to
permit plasma channel creation between the anode and the cathode. When gap
width between the tool and the electrode achieves the maximum sparking gap width,
a micro-conductive ionized path appears and the electric spark occurs achieving
temperatures up to 15,000 or 20,000 °C. Conductive material is then molten and/or
vaporized from the work piece. Since the EDM process does not involve mechanical
energy, the removal rate is not affected by either hardness, strength or toughness of
the work piece material [2]. The absence of direct contact between the tool and the
electrode caused by the nature of the process avoid common process problems such
as mechanical stresses and vibrations as in conventional machining processes.
Many researchers have so far concentrated on the process improvement in EDM, but

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not on the development of multi-objective models to correlate the various machining

parameters on the predominant electrical discharge machining criteria. Keeping this
consideration in view, the attempt have been made to develop multi-objective models
to study the influence of machining parameters on machining performance criteria
such, as Metal removal rate (MRR), Electrode wear (EW) and surface roughness
(SR).

Figure 1 Electrical Discharge Machine

2. EXPERIMENTAL WORK

The experimental setup is shown in Fig. 1. The setup consists of

• Machining cell
• EDM control system
• Electrolyte circulation

2.1 Machining cell

The electro-mechanical assembly is a sturdy structure, associated with precision

machined components, servomotorized vertical up/down movement of tool, an
electrolyte dispensing arrangement. All the exposed components and parts have
undergone proper material selection and coating/plating for corrosion protection.

– Tool area- 500 mm2

– Cross head stroke- 250 mm
– Job holder- 100 mm opening×50 mm depth×100 mm width

2.2 EDM control system

The power supply is a perfect integration of high current electrical, power electronics
and precision programmable micro-controller-based technologies. Since the machine

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operates at very low voltage, there are no chances of any electrical shocks during
operation.

– Electrical output rating- 0–60 Amps

– Voltage from 0–100 V
– Supply- 415 v +/− 10%, three-phase AC, 50 Hz

2.3 Electrolyte circulation

The electrolyte is pumped from a tank, lined by corrosion resistant coating with the
help of corrosion resistant pump and is fed to the job. The reservoir provides
separate settling, filtering and siphoning compartments.

2.4 Machining processes

The job to be machined is fixed in the vice. The machining chamber is corrosion
resistant. A window allows the operator to view the machining process. The tool
progress is maneuvered vertically by the servo motor and is governed by a micro-
controller based programmable drive. In EDM, generally a cathode tool is made out
of non-reacting material, such as copper. The process parameters, like voltage, peak
current, pulse-on time and gap current are set. The process is started in the
presence of an electrolyte flow that is circulated with the help of special pump filling
the gap between anode (job) and cathode (tool). Electrolyte flow is adjusted by flow
control valve. During the operation, a sophisticated control panel system takes care
of any damage to the machine with overload and short circuit protections. After the
desired time interval, a hooter gives an indication of completion of the process.

Table 1. Level of machining parameters

Levels Low Medium High

Voltage 30 40 45
Peak current 2 10 40
Pulse on time 10 500 1000
Gap current 1.3 10 14

The specimen is prepared as a rectangular blank of 24 mm length, 12 mm breadth

and 19 mm height and is made up of oil hardened non shrinking steel which is
machined by EDM. The dielectric fluid used is distilled water. The observations of the
machining process are based on taguchi “L9” orthogonal array design and various
levels as shown in Table 1 and 2 resp., A total of four machining parameters
(voltage, peak current, pulse-on time and gap current) were chosen. The machining
results after EDM process are evaluated based on three machining performances,
MRR (mm3/min), EW (%) and SR (μm). The observation of the EDM process is
shown in Table 3.

Table 2. L9 Orthogonal array Table 3. Observations of the EDM process

Machining parameters Responses

Trial A B C D Voltage Peak Pulse Gap MRR EW SR
no. (V) current on current (mm3/min) (%) (μm)
(A) time (A)
(μs)
1. 1 1 1 1 30 2 10 1.3 9.388 7.450 2.120
2. 1 2 2 2 30 10 500 10 22.450 3.390 5.890
3. 1 3 3 3 30 40 1000 14 34.010 1.040 3.650
4. 2 1 2 3 40 2 500 14 10.565 9.550 2.410

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5. 2 2 3 1 40 10 1000 1.3 23.372 3.910 6.230

6. 2 3 1 2 40 40 10 10 34.460 1.110 3.980
7. 3 1 3 2 45 2 1000 10 11.393 10.830 2.730
8. 3 2 1 3 45 10 10 14 24.660 5.020 6.840
9. 3 3 2 1 45 40 500 1.3 35.090 1.610 4.870
3. MULTI RESPONSE MODEL USING GREY RELATIONAL ANALYSIS

The relationship between various factors mentioned in the previous section is

unclear. Such systems are called “grey”, implying poor, incomplete and uncertain
information. Their analysis by standard statistical procedure may not be acceptable
or reliable without large data sets. In this work, grey relational analysis (GRA) has
been used to convert the multi-response optimization model into a single response
grey relational grade. Instead of using experimental values directly in multiple
regression model, grades are used to study about multi-response characteristics.

The following steps to be followed while applying grey relational analysis:

(a). Normalizing the experimental results of MRR and surface roughness to avoid the
effect of adopting different units to reduce the variability.

(1)

(2)
(b). Performing the grey relational generating and calculating the grey coefficient for
the normalized values yield

(3)
Where,
1. j=1,2,…n; k=1,2,…m, n is the number of experimental data items and m is the
number of responses.
2. is the reference sequence( =1, k=1,2,…m); is the specific
comparison sequence.
3. is the absolute value of the difference between
and
4. is the smallest value of
5. is the largest value of
6. ζ is the distinguishing coefficient which is defined in the range 0 ≤ ζ ≤ 1 (the
value may adjusted based on the practical needs of the system)

(c). Calculating the grey relational grade by averaging the grey relational coefficient
yields

(4)
Where,
is the grey relational grade for the jth experiment and k is the number of
performance characteristics.
Equation (1) is used to normalize the experimental value when the target of the
original value is having the characteristic of ‘higher the better’. Here MRR is
normalized using the above equation. When the ‘lower the better’ is a characteristic

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of the original sequence, then the original sequence is normalized using Eq. (2), i.e.,
EW and SR are normalized using this equation. Using Eq. (3), we calculate the grey
relational coefficient for MRR, EW and SR as shown. Also the grey relational grade
is computed as per Eq. (4). and shown in Table 4.
Table 4. Grey relational coefficient and the grey relational grade

S.No Normalized Normalized Normalized GRC GRC GRC Grade

values for values for values for SR values values values
MRR EWR for MRR for EWR for SR
1. 1 0.6547 0 1 0.5915 0.3330 0.6415
2. 0.5233 0.2400 0.7987 0.5719 0.3968 0.7129 0.5405
3. 0.0420 0 0.3241 0.3429 0.3330 0.4252 0.3670
4. 0.9542 0.8692 0.0614 0.9160 0.7926 0.3475 0.6853
5. 0.4559 0.2931 0.8707 0.4788 0.4142 0.7945 0.5625
6. 0.0245 0.0071 0.3940 0.3388 0.3349 0.4520 0.3752
7. 0.9219 1 0.1292 0.8649 1 0.3647 0.7432
8. 0.4058 0.4065 1 0.4569 0.4572 1 0.6380
9. 0 0.0582 0.5826 0.3330 0.3467 0.5450 0.4082

4. MODEL DEVELOPMENT

In order to predict the behavior of the grey relational grade, approach which have
been developed to map the relationship between process parameters and output
responses using multiple regression models. The process parameters voltage (V),
peak current (C), pulse on-time (T) and gap current (G) are considered as
independent variables and the grey grade as a dependant variable.

4.1 Multiple Regression models

Multiple regression methods are used to analyze data from unplanned experiments,
such as might arise from observation of uncontrolled phenomena or historical data.
Regression methods are also very useful in designed experiments where something
has “gone wrong”. The general purpose of multiple regressions is to learn more
about the relationship between several independent or predictor variables and a
dependent or criterion variable. The following two models have been developed to
analyze the process variable in EDM process.

(a) Model I: Linear model excluding interaction terms.

(b) Model II: Exponential model excluding interaction terms.

4.1.1 Model I

This model is a linear multiple regression model without considering interaction

terms. A multiple regression model using independent variables V, C, T and G and
dependent variable grade can be represented as

Grade = b0 +b1V+b2C+b3T+b4G+e

Where,
b0, b1, b2, b3 and b4 are the regression coefficients to be estimated. The regression
model developed using MINITAB software based on the data is as

Grade = 0.475 + 0.00493 V- 0.00765 C + 0.000006 T + 0.00201 G

The predicted values are calculated through the regression. The percentage
deviations are computed for the data sets and the results are listed in the Table 5.

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Table 5. Percentage deviation between experimental grade and predicted grade values of multiple
regression model I

S.No Experimental grade Predicted grade Percentage deviation

1. 0.6415 0.6101 4.879
2. 0.5405 0.5694 5.352
3. 0.3670 0.3508 4.388
4. 0.6853 0.6880 0.393
5. 0.5625 0.6043 7.438
6. 0.3752 0.3861 2.907
7. 0.7432 0.7076 4.776
8. 0.6380 0.6484 1.634
9. 0.4082 0.3963 2.914
Average percentage deviation 3.853

4.1.1.1. ANOVA

The purpose of the ANOVA is to investigate the significance of data sets. This is
accomplished by separating the total variability of the percentage deviation among
the data. The F-test is used to determine the significance of the data sets. The
results of ANOVA is shown in the Table 6 indicate that there is no significant change
among the data. Hence this multiple regression model can be used as a prediction
model.

Table 6. ANOVA for model I

Source Degree of Sum of squares Mean square F ratio

freedom
Regression 4 0.150668 0.037667 27.57
Residual Error 4 0.005464 0.001366
Total 8 0.156132

4.1.2 Model II

This model is an exponential model with logarithmic transformed variables and the
interaction terms are not considered. A logarithmic transformation can be applied to
convert the non-linear form of equation into the following additive (linear) form. The
functional relationship between grey relational grade and independent variables
under investigation could be represented as

ln grade = lnK + a lnV + b lnC + c lnT + d lnG

This is one of the most popularly used data transformation methods in model building
equations. The model assumes that there is a normal distribution of the dependent
variable for every combination of the values of the independent variables. The
regression equation developed using MINITAB software based on this model is
shown as below,
Grade = - 1.33 + 0.308 VL - 0.193 CL - 0.0005 TL + 0.0091 GL

The predicted values are calculated by using the developed regression. The
percentage deviation is computed between the experimental grade and predicted
grade of the data sets and results are listed in the Table 7.

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Table 7. Percentage deviation between experimental grade and predicted grade values of multiple
regression model II

S.No Experimental grade Predicted grade Percentage deviation

1. -0.4439 -0.4149 6.533
2. -0.6152 -0.7089 15.230
3. -1.0023 -0.9738 2.843
4. -0.3778 -0.3066 18.845
5. -0.5753 -0.6392 11.107
6. -0.9802 -0.8859 9.620
7. -0.2967 -0.2738 7.718
8. -0.4494 -0.5790 28.838
9. -0.8959 -0.8702 2.868
Average percentage deviation 11.511

4.1.2.1 ANOVA

The ANOVA is performed on the percentage deviations among the data sets. The
result of ANOVA is shown in Table 8. From this, it is clear that there is no significant
difference among the data sets. Hence model II can also be used as a prediction
model.

Table 8. ANOVA for model II

Source Degree of Sum of squares Mean squares F ratio

freedom
Regression 4 0.53054 0.13264 11.43
Residual Error 4 0.04644 0.01161
Total 8 0.57698

5. COMPARISON OF RESULTS

Table 9 shows the comparison of percentage deviation between regression model I

and model II. While examining the percentage deviation of multiple regression model
I and model II, it is found that regression model I is having less percentage deviation.
So the optimal process parameters are selected based on the data of regression
model I.
Table 9. Grey relational grade and its order

S.No Grey relational grade Order

1. 0.6415 3
2. 0.5405 6
3. 0.3670 9
4. 0.6853 2
5. 0.5625 5
6. 0.3752 8
7. 0.7432 1
8. 0.6380 4
9. 0.4082 7

6. SELECTION OF OPTIMUM MACHINING PARAMETERS

The response Table 10 of taguchi was employed to calculate the average grey
relational grade for each machining parameter level. It was done by sorting the grey
relational grades corresponding to the levels of the machining parameter in each
column of the orthogonal array (as shown in the Table 2) the no.1, no.2 and no.3
were the experimental runs at which machining parameter A was set at level 1. The
associated values of grey relational grade for A1 are those experimental runs grey
relational grades. Therefore, their average is the average grey relational grade for A1:

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A1 = (0.6415 + 0.5405 + 0.3670) / 3 = 0.5163

Similarly, the average grey relational grade for grade for A2 and A3 are calculated as
follows:
A2 = (0.6853 + 0.5625 + 0.3752) / 3 = 0.5410

Table 10. Response table for the grey relational grade

Symbol Process Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Max – Min

parameter
A Voltage 0.5163 0.5410 0.5964 0.0801
B Peak current 0.6900 0.5803 0.3834 0.3066
C Pulse on time 0.5515 0.5446 0.5575 0.0129
D Gap current 0.5374 0.5529 0.5634 0.0260
Average grey relational grade: 0.5512

Using the same method, calculations are performed for each machining parameter
level and the response table was constructed as shown in Table 10. Fig 2 shows the
grey relational grade graph, where the dashed line the figure is the value of the total
mean of the grey relational grade. Basically, the larger the grey relational grade, the
better are the multiple-performance characteristics. Accordingly, the parameter was
selected based on the level that gave the largest average response. From the
response table shown in Table 10, the best combination of the machining parameters
is the set with the A3 (voltage of 45V), B1 (peak current of 2A), C3 (pulse on time of
1000μs), D3 (gap current of 14A).
0.8

0.6 Voltage
Grade

Peak current
0.4
Pulse on time
0.2 Gap current

0
A1 A2 A3 B1 B2 B3 C1 C2 C3 D1 D2 D3
Parameter level

Figure 2 Grey relational grade graphs

7. CONCLUSION

A practical method of optimizing machining parameters for EDM based on multiple

regression models are presented in this paper. Voltage, Peak current, Pulse on time
and Gap current have been considered as machining parameters. Metal removal
rate, Electrode wear and surface roughness have been obtained as responses from
the EDM process. Metal removal rate, Electrode wear and surface roughness are
combined to have a single objective as grey relational grade by the application of
grey relational analysis. Linear regression model and logarithmic transformation
model excluding interaction terms have been developed to map the relationship
between machining parameters and output responses. It is clearly noted that
regression model I gives the better prediction based on the percentage deviation and
the same has been used to find the optimal machining parameters of EDM. Finally
the optimal conditions obtained as i.e., A3 (voltage of 45V), B1 (peak current of 2A),
C3 (pulse on time of 1000μs), D3 (gap current of 14A) for maximizing MRR,
minimizing electrode wear and surface roughness simultaneously among the 9
experimental data. The most influencing factor obtained by the response table is the
peak current for the EDM process. It is also proposed to integrate the ANN models

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with meta heuristics for finding the optimal machining parameters as future scope of
this work.
Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments may appear before the list of references. The author(s) is

responsible for obtaining the necessary permissions to quote or reproduce material,
including figures, from already published works and to reprint them from other
publications. An appropriate credit line should be included.

REFERENCES

[1] J.A. McGeough, “Advanced Methods of Machining”, Chapman and Hall, New
York, 1998.
[2] B.H.Yan, C.C.Wang, W.D.Liu and F.Y. Huang,