Numerical Study on Heat Affected Zone and Material Removal Rate of Shape Memory Alloy in Wire Electric Discharge Machining

This work provides a numerical analysis of the heat affected zone and material removal rate for shape memory alloys (SMAs) through wire electric discharge machining (WEDM). A finite element method computer program was created using MATLAB. SMAs are widely used in many areas like aerospace, biomedical and automobile due to their unique properties, such as superelasticity/pseudoelasticity, shape memory effect, high specific resistance, high abrasion resistance and many other enriched mechanical and physical properties. SMAs machining is an important concept in the field of SMAs applications. However, conventional shape memory alloy machining is extremely difficult. To overcome difficulties during conventional machining, WEDM can be used successfully to machine SMAs. In WEDM, about 70% of the cost of machining is associated with the wire used in machining. A shape memory alloy nickel-titanium alloy has been taken as work material for numerical simulation. The responses heat affected zone and material removal rate curve are plotted with respect to input process parameters pulse on time and discharge current.