A study on the correlations between machining parameters and specimen quality in WEDM

Wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) is widely used in manufacturing, medical, aircraft applications and, virtually, all areas of conductive material machining. The process involves a series of very complex electrical, thermodynamical and electromagnetical phenomena that are still partially unknown. Due to the large amount of parameters involved in the process, a suitable set-up of the variables aimed to obtain the best performance is often very difficult. In the paper the results of a wide experimental analysis are presented: the tests were carried out on high-speed steel and tempered steel specimens utilising brass wires. The influence of the most important process parameters on the material removal rate and on the roughness of the machined surfaces was investigated.