Use of Taguchi Method and Grey Relational Analysis for Optimizing a Ram Electrical Discharge Machining Process

There are various factors able to exert influence on the results of electrical discharge machining process. If there are many output factors of the machining process, one can formulate a problem of multicriterial optimization. It is necessary to find adequate values for the input factors so that the output factors have optimized values. The paper presents the results of a research aiming to optimize the material removal rate and the tool electrode wear rate, in the case of ram electrical discharge machining process. As input factors, one used the pulse on time, pulse off time and average peak current intensity. The Taguchi method was applied, in association with the Grey relational analysis. In this way, combinations of values corresponding to the input factors were determined, in order to obtain optimal results for the process output factors.