EVALUATION OF SURFACE ROUGHNESS AND MATERIAL REMOVAL RATE IN ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE MACHINING OF AL-ALLOY WITH 10%SIC

Aluminum-based metallic matrix compounds are widely used in industrial and aircraft manufacturing due to their advanced characteristics, such as toughness and high strength resistance to weight ratio, etc. Silicon carbide is an important industrial ceramic and it is the fourth hardest ceramic after diamond, boron nitride, and boron carbide. Owing to its low fracture toughness, it is difficult to machine silicon carbide using traditional machining processes. Electrical discharge machine can machine such materials irrespective of their hardness. Aluminum alloy 6061 and 10% SiC based-metal matrix composite were used as a workpiece that was produced by stir casting. In the experimental investigation, pulse current Pc (10, 20, and 30 A), pulse on (Pon) duration (100, 150, and 200 ?sec), and pulse off (Poff) duration (6, 12, and 24 ?sec) were treated as the input variables. The output responses were surface roughness (SR) and material removal rate (MRR). The best value for surface roughness (Ra) reached (1.032 µm) at Pc (10 A), Pon duration (100 ?sec) and Poff (15 ?sec). Also, the best result for the productivity of the process (MRR) reached (69.49 × 10-3 g/min) at Pc (30 A) Pon, (200 ?sec) and (6 ?sec) Poff. Therefore, the experimental outcomes were optimized for surface roughnes and material removal rate by adding 10% SiC to aluminum alloy 6061. ABSTRAK: Sebatian matrik logam berasaskan aluminium telah digunakan secara meluas dalam industri pembuatan dan pesawat kerana ciri-cirinya yang canggih, seperti ketahanan dan daya rintangan yang tinggi kepada nisbah berat, dan lain-lain. Silikon karbida adalah seramik industri yang penting dan ia merupakan seramik keempat terkuat setelah berlian, boron nitrida dan boron karbida. Disebabkan ketahanan frakturnya yang rendah, adalah sukar bagi menghasilkan mesin silikon karbida menggunakan proses pemesinan tradisional. Mesin pelepasan elektrik mampu menghasilkan mesin menggunakan bahan tersebut tanpa mengira kekerasan. Aloi aluminium 6061 dan komposit matrik logam berasaskan SiC 10% telah digunakan sebagai bahan kerja yang terhasil melalui tuangan kacauan. Melalui penyelidikan eksperimen, detik arus Pc (10, 20, dan 30 A), detik hadir (Pon) berdurasi (100, 150, dan 200 ?sec), dan detik henti (Poff) berdurasi (6, 12, dan 24 ?sec) dirawat sebagai pemboleh ubah input. Respon pengeluaran adalah kekasaran permukaan (SR) dan kadar penyingkiran bahan (MRR). Nilai terbaik bagi kekasaran permukaan (Ra) telah mencapai (1.032 µm) pada Pc (10 A), berdurasi Pon (100 ?sec) dan Poff (15 ?sec). Tambahan, hasil terbaik bagi proses produktiviti (MRR) mencapai (69.49 × 10-3 g/min) pada Pc (30 A) Pon, (200 ?sec) dan (6 ?sec) Poff. Oleh itu, hasil eksperimen dioptimumkan bagi permukaan kasar dan kadar penyingkiran bahan dengan tambahan 10% SiC ke aloi aluminium 6061.