Machining performance analysis of wire-EDM for machining of titanium alloy using multi-objective optimization and machine learning approach

This study investigates the multi-objective optimization of process parameters in wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) using titanium alloy grade 5 and zinc-coated brass microwire. The novelty lies in the comprehensive investigation of the effects of varying pulse on time (Ton), wire tension (WT), and wire feed rate (WF) on output responses, including surface roughness (SR), surface crack density (SCD), corner diameter (CD), and kerf width (KW). The Box-Behnken design, a sophisticated response surface methodology (RSM) technique, is employed to efficiently explore the complex relationships and interdependencies between these input and output parameters. The study's novel approach incorporates machine learning algorithms, including decision tree, light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM) and random forest, to predict the characteristics of the laser-cut components based on the input parameters. The contour plots generated provide valuable insights into the underlying patterns and associations between input and output features, aiding in the understanding of the WEDM process. The results reveal that the optimized values for SR, SCD, CD, and KW are obtained at specific machining conditions: Ton of 10 μs, WF of 3.79 m/min, and WT of 8 gf. Among the machine learning algorithms employed, random forest outperforms the others in predicting KW, SR, SCD and CD, exhibiting significantly lower mean squared error (MSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) values. This study contributes to the field of WEDM by providing a comprehensive analysis, incorporating advanced experimental design techniques and machine learning algorithms, which can aid in process optimization and quality control in manufacturing applications.