Machining of B1914 nickel-based superalloy using wire electrical discharge machining

The unconventional technology of wire electrical discharge machining is a key engineering technology, designed primarily for machining of conventionally difficult machine materials. One of them is nickel alloys, which are majorly used in the aerospace and energy industries. The subject of research in this study was specifically the B1914 nickel-based superalloy, which was subjected to many analyses leading to an overall optimization of its machining using wire electrical discharge machining. In order to determine the effect of machine parameters setup (pulse off time, gap voltage, discharge current, pulse on time and wire feed) on cutting speed, topography, morphology, surface and subsurface layer quality, an extensive Box–Behnken design experiment consisting of 46 rounds was carried out. The analyses of the condition of the surface and subsurface layers were performed, including their chemical composition and changes caused by wire electrical discharge machining. It was found out that the factors like pulse off time, discharge current and pulse on time have the greatest effect on the cutting speed, although from the point of view of surface topography the parameter pulse off time is not significant. The remaining two parameters cause the cutting speed to act against the surface topography i.e. with the increasing cutting speed, the surface topography gets worse and vice versa.