Effect of WEDM Process Parameters on the Multiple Responses Using VIKOR Analysis

Abstract

The off-line statistical tools like the Design of experiments and taguchi methods can be able
to solvethe problems with single response effectively but they cannot be employ for solving
the problems which includes several performance characteristics. A Multi-criteria-decisionmaking
(MCDM) method VIKOR analysis has been employed in the present workto
determine the optimal setting of wire EDM process parameters. The experiments were
conducted with the WEDM process parameters of Pulse-on-time (Pon), Pulse-off-time (Poff),
wire tension (WT) and wire feed (WF). The experiments were planned as per the standard
taguchi’s L27 orthogonal array. The VIKOR index results concluded that the combination at
Pon=131, Poff =58, WT=2 and WF=4 is the optimal for achieving high volume of material
removal rate (VMRR) and low surface roughness (Ra) simultaneously. Analysis of variance
(ANOVA) is employed to check the significance of the process parameters on the combined
index values. The results of it concluded that the pulse-on-time (Pon) has the highest influence
and wire tension (WT) has the lowest influence on the vikor index value.