Surface modification of C40 steel using WC-Cu P/M green compact electrodes in EDM

This study deals with surface modification of C-40 grade steel using P/M (powder metallurgy) green compacts of WC?Cu mixture as the EDM tool during a die sinking operation in hydrocarbon dielectric fluid. An L8 Taguchi array is used to investigate the process by varying tool parameters like composition and compaction pressure and EDM operating parameters like polarity, peak-current and pulse-duration. An optimal condition, for getting a uniform layer over the surface, is achieved using OEC (overall evaluation criteria). At the optimum condition, a layer thickness of 48.9μm and an increase in hardness up to 1632Hv are achieved.