Unconventional wire electrical discharge machining technology (WEDM) is a key machining process, especially for machining newly emerging materials, as there are almost no restrictions (only at least minimal electrical conductivity) in terms of demands on the mechanical properties of the workpiece or the need to develop new tool geometry. This study is the first to present an analysis of the machinability of newly developed high entropy alloys (HEAs), namely FeCoCrMnNi and FeCoCrMnNiC0.2, using WEDM. The aim of this study was to find the optimal setting of machine parameters for the efficient production of parts with the required surface quality without defects. For this reason, an extensive design of experiments consisting of 66 rounds was performed, which took into account the influence of five input factors in the form of pulse off time, gap voltage, discharge current, pulse on time, and wire speed on cutting speed and the quality of the machined surface and its subsurface layer. The analysis of topography, morphology, subsurface layers, chemical composition analysis (EDX), and lamella analysis using a transmission electron microscope (TEM) were performed. An optimal setting of the machine parameters was found, which enables machining of FeCoCrMnNi and FeCoCrMnNiC0.2 with the required surface quality without defects.
Keywords: WEDM; design of experiment; high entropy alloy; machining parameters; wire electrical discharge machining.