Enhanced surface roughness of AISI D2 steel machined using nano-powder mixed electrical discharge machining

Manufacturing geometrically complex components with high strength and high wear resistance is an essential requirement in fabricating heavy-duty industrial components. Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) is a non-conventional machining technique with the potential to machine any conductive material regardless of hardness property. This experiment concentrates on Powder Mixed EDM (PMEDM), where a specific concentration of titanium powder is added to the dielectric. The effect of adding powder is investigated on machined surface roughness. It is revealed that for 120 µsec and 210 µsec spark durations, the impact of titanium particles significantly improves the Ra and Rz of the AISI D2 steel machined surface. However, increasing the spark duration to 340 µsec leads to surface roughness deterioration owing to debris particles adhering onto the surface.