The advances in the gas turbine engine technology for aero-engine and land-based power generation led to the increase in demand of super alloys having variety of properties such as high strength at elevated temperature, toughness, high rupture strength, excellent creep resistance, metallurgical stability, resistance to thermal fatigue and corrosion. Due to their numerous properties super alloys are used in wide range of applications such as space vehicles, rocket engines, submarines, nuclear power plant components, petrochemical equipments and heat treatment furnace parts & fixtures. They are difficult to machine due to high hot hardness, high work hardening tendency, presence of hard carbides particles in their microstructure and low thermal diffusivity. Wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) is one of the widely used processes for machining of parts with intricate profiles, close dimensional tolerances, high accuracy and varying hardness requirements. The vast potential of WEDM process to overcome the challenges posed by continuous developments of newer exotic materials is the motivation behind this review. This paper reviews the WEDM of super alloys and identifies the performance issues for future research.
Volume 12 | 07-Special Issue
Pages: 1472-1484
DOI: 10.5373/JARDCS/V12SP7/20202250