Monitoring and self-learning fuzzy control for wire rupture prevention in wire electrical discharge machining

Wire breaking is a serious problem in the application of wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM). A WEDM sparking frequency monitoring and control system based on the characteristics of the voltage waveform of WEDM is developed. A new self-learning fuzzy controller is proposed to control the sparking frequency at a safe level by regulating the pulse off-time in real time for avoiding wire rupture and maintaining a state of high metal removal rate. The developed control strategy is tested under the conditions of cutting a workpiece with continuous sharp angles, a change in workpiece height during machining process, and machining with a high feed-rate. Experimental results show that this monitoring and control system can control the sparking frequency at a predetermined level without the risk of wire rupture.