Surface characterization of SAE 304 after WED cutting: an experimental investigation and optimization

Abstract

Stainless steel 304 is an iron-chromium-nickel-based alloy developed for structural applications. This alloy exhibits good mechanical strength along with excellent resistance to various atmospheric conditions. Due to the increasing demand for complex, precise, and high-quality structural components, the wire-electrical-discharge-cutting (WEDC) process is recommended as a powerful technique instead of conventional machine tools. The experimental layout is designed based on L27 Taguchi orthogonal array where pulse-on-time, pulse-off-time, servo voltage, and wire feed are selected as control variables. Post experimentation, roughness profile, topography, morphology, recast surface, and subsurface microhardness of the cut section of SAE 304 alloy were evaluated. Thereafter, the desirability function approach is used to find the optimum cutting conditions. The experimental investigation reveals lower profile roughness, smoother topography, no micro-cracks, least recast layer, and minimum hardness alteration under a trim-cut strategy which is found to be useful for safe, durable, and high–strength complex structural components.

Keywords

• SAE 304 alloy
• WEDC
• Surface roughness
• Morphology
• Optimization