Taguchi’s Approach to Wire Electrical Discharge Machining of Magnesium Alloy AZ31B

One of the most common types of lightweight materials used in aerospace is magnesium alloy. It has a high strength-to-weight ratio and is ideal for various applications. Due to its corrosion resistance, it is commonly used to manufacture of fuselages. Unfortunately, the conventional methods of metal cutting fail to improve the performance of magnesium alloy. One amongst the most common methods used for making intricate shapes in harder materials is through Wire-Electro-Discharge (WEDM). In this study, we have used magnesium alloy as the work material. The independent factors were selected as pulse duration and peak current. The output parameters of the process are the Surface Roughness (SR) and the Material Removal Rate (MRR). Through a single aspect optimization technique, Taguchi was able to identify the optimal combination that would improve the effectiveness of the WEDM process. The findings of the experimentation revealed that the technique could significantly enhance the wire-cut process’s efficiency.