Multioptimization analysis of machining characteristics on spark electrical discharge machining of Al/SiC and Al/SiC/B4C composites

Abstract This study examines the machining characteristics of sintered aluminium composites, including Al+6% SiC and Al+4% SiC+2% B 4 C, utilising electrical discharge machining (EDM) by changing the input machining factors like current (C) in amperes, Pulse-OFF and Pulse-ON time in μs, at three distinct levels. The L9 Orthogonal array was employed to examine the influence of process factors on output variables, including Surface Roughness (SR), Material Removal Rate (MRR), and Hole Circularity (HC). An Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was conducted to determine the percentage contribution of the input factors to the output variables. Observation implies that the GRG ANOVA for Al+6%SiC composite has achieved the most significant contribution to the total GRG, with the current contributing 86.66%, followed by the Pulse-ON at 8.52% and the Pulse-OFF at 3.63%. In contrast, the Al+4%SiC+2%B 4 C composite shows the current contributing 74.07%, followed by the Pulse-ON at 15.25% and the Pulse-OFF at 9.82%. The ideal input levels for Al+6%SiC and Al+4%SiC+2%B 4 C composites were found to be A3B3C1 and A3B3C3, correspondingly.