This paper presents the characteristic of 316L steel turning obtained by 3D printing. The analysis of the influence of turning data on the components of the total cutting force, surface roughness and the maximum temperature values in the cutting zone are presented. The form of chips obtained in the machining process was also analyzed. Statistical analysis of the test results was developed using the Taguchi method.

Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) is one of the most efficient processes to produce high-ratio micro holes in difficult-to-cut materials in the Inconel 718 superalloy. It is important to apply a statistical technique that guarantees a high fit between the predicted values and those measured during analysis of test results. It was especially important to check which method gives a better fit of the calculated result values in case they were relatively small and/or close to each other. This study developed models with the use of the response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural networks (ANNs). The aim of the study was comparison between two models (RSM and ANNs) and to check which model gives a better data fit for relatively similar values in individual tests. In all cases, the neural network models provided a better value fit. This is due to the fact that neural networks use better fitted functions than in the case of the RSM method using quadratic fitting. This comparison included the aspect ratio hole and the thickness side gap data, the values of which for individual tests were very similar. The paper reports an analysis of the impact of parameter variables on the analyzed factors. Higher values of current amplitude, pulse time length, and rotational speed of the working electrode resulted in higher drilling speed (above 15 µm/s, lower linear tool wear (below 15%), higher aspect ratio hole (above 26), lower hole conicity (below 0.005), and lower side gap thickness at the hole inlet (below 100 µm).

Advanced engineering materials (e.g., nickel or titanium alloy) are being increasingly applied to produce parts of gas turbines in the aerospace industry. To improve the durability of these parts, many holes, with a length-to-diameter aspect ratio greater than 20:1, are created in their structure. The quality of the holes significantly affects the cooling process of the elements. However, it is challenging to machine materials by conventional methods. When machining a hole with a high aspect ratio, the major problem is effective flushing of the machining area, which can improve the hole’s surface integrity and dimensional accuracy. Consequently, the electro-discharge drilling (EDD) process is good alternative for this application. This paper presents the results of an analysis of the EDD of Inconel 718 alloy. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the impact of process parameters (pulse time, current amplitude, and discharge voltage) on the process’s performance (linear tool wear, taper angle, drilling speed, the hole’s aspect ratio, and surface roughness (Ra and Rz)). The results show that EDD provides us with the possibility to drill holes with an aspect ratio greater than 10:1. The results also demonstrate that holes with an aspect ratio greater than 10:1 and a small taper angle value have a significantly decreased quality of internal surface, especially at the bottom of the hole. This indicates that an insufficient amount of debris is removed from the bottom of the hole.

This paper deals with the optimization of process parameters (such as cutting speed and feed rate) to minimize surface roughness in the turning of a titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) workpiece with spherical shape. In the first part of the article, based on the results analysis, a mathematical model is developed. It is shown that cutting speed has little effect on the surface roughness. The second part of the paper presents the application of the developed method to optimize cutting data such as feed rate in order to obtain the surface roughness parameters Ra and Rz of the curvilinear surface of the titanium alloy workpiece at acceptable and aligned, values regardless of the surface shape and its tilted angle. A case study verifies the correctness of the proposed method. The machining time was substantially shortened in comparison to the non-optimized cutting process.

The properties of the Inconel 718 superalloy are used in the manufacturing of aircraft components; its properties, including high hardness and toughness, cause machining difficulties when using the conventional method. To circumvent this, non-conventional techniques are used, among which electrical discharge machining (EDM) is a good alternative. However, the nature of removing material using the EDM process causes the thermophysical properties of Inconel 718 to hinder its machinability; thus, a more extensive analysis of the influence of these properties on the EDM process, and a machinability analysis of this material in a wider range, using more process parameters, are required. In this study, we investigated the drilling of micro-holes into the Inconel 718 superalloy using the EDM process. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the impact of five process parameters with a wide range of values (open voltage, time of the impulse, current amplitude, the inlet dielectric fluid pressure, and tube electrode rotation) on the process’s performance (drilling speed, linear tool wear, the side gap thickness, and the aspect ratio of holes). The analysis shows that the thermal conductivity of this superalloy significantly influences the effective drilling of holes. The combination of a higher current amplitude (I ≥ 3.99 A) with an extended pulse time (t_on ≥ 550 µs) can provide a satisfactory hole accuracy (side gap thickness ≤ 100 µm), homogeneity of the hole entrance edge without re-solidified material, and a depth-to-diameter ratio of about 19. Obtaining a high dimensional shape accuracy of holes has an enormous effect on their usability in the structure of the components in the aviation industry.

Presented study concerns the issue of processing the AlSi10Mg aluminum alloy with a use of WEDM technology. Two types of samples tested during the experiment were previously produced in SLM and in casting processes. The aim of the research was to determine the dependence of the input parameters of SLM (laser scanning speed) and WEDM (current amplitude) processes on the performance of the WEDM process as well as on the roughness of the cut surfaces. The experiment was carried out on a specially prepared test stand, and the results’ analysis was carried out using the ANOVA (analysis of variance). A strong influence of the WEDM current on the process speed and on the Ra and Rz roughness parameters of the produced samples was found. The effect of SLM laser scanning speed was not so strong, but it tended to be uniform. On the other hand, the influence of the tested parameters on the WEDM process energy turned out to be insignificant and irregular. It was also found that for the WEDM process a sample made in SLM technology with relatively high laser scanning speed may be a better choice than the cast one. A case study was carried out to optimize the parameters of the tested processes.