Machining of titanium and titanium alloys by electric discharge machining process: A review

Electric discharge machining (EDM) process is a non-traditional thermal based machining process which is widely used for the machining of hard materials such as ceramics and super alloys. Titanium (Ti), whose hardness ranges from HRB 70–74, is one such hard material which can be machined by EDM process to create intricate shapes and contours. This review paper presents the contribution of different researchers in machining of titanium and its alloys by EDM process. Problems encountered during machining of Ti and its alloys are also discussed. New research avenues like introduction of abrasives and powder in dielectric fluid, use of hybrid techniques, introduction of cryogenic treatment, etc. to improve the machinability of Ti and its alloys by EDM process are highlighted. Use of modelling and optimisation techniques like Taguchi method, response surface methodology, artificial neural network, grey relational analysis, etc. to predict the behaviour of complex process during electric discharge machining of Ti and its alloys is also shown. Copyright © 2020 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.