Influence of input parameters on the near-dry WEDM of Monel alloy

Near-dry wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) is a modified WEDM process, which has no adverse effects on the environment, in which metal removals have been done with the dielectric medium being used in the form of a mist. As the increase in production by reducing the machining time is a costly affair, the input parameters attract considerable attention for their optimization. The predominant control characteristics in this study are the time-bound material removal and surface quality. The time duration of the electrical pulse on and off, wire feed, air inlet pressure, and water flow rate are the parameters considered for this experimental analysis. In this paper, the optimization techniques such as RSM method and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to route the experiments and optimize the responses of near-dry WEDM process for machining the material Monel alloy. A model has been formulated mathematically for the two vital responses needed, under the influence of regression analysis. Additivity test has been performed to validate the mathematical model. The air–water mixture in the form of a mist was used in place of dielectric medium to study the impact on material removal rate (MRR), surface roughness (R_a), and environment. It was observed that a high surface finish could be obtained at 3 bar pressure.