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Evaluation of cutting speed and surface roughness in WEDM of functionally graded A356-10 wt% Si3N4 composite
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  • Published: 19 March 2026

Evaluation of cutting speed and surface roughness in WEDM of functionally graded A356-10 wt% Si3N4 composite

  • S. Prathap Singh1,
  • D. Elil Raja1,
  • C. Ramesh Kumar2,
  • K. Gnanasekaran3,
  • Abhijit Bhowmik4,5,
  • Kedir Hussen6,
  • S. Sowndar3 &
  • …
  • M. Sundara Cholan3 

Scientific Reports , Article number:  (2026) Cite this article

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  • Engineering
  • Materials science

Abstract

Functionally graded composites (FGCs) have planned spatial changes in the distribution of the reinforcement and thus radial gradients in hardness, thermal conductivity, and microstructure. In this research, Al (Aluminium) A356 alloy reinforced with Silicon Nitride (Si₃N4) FGC was fabricated through a vertical centrifugal casting technique. The optical microscope, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Vicker’s microhardness evaluator examined the gradient distribution of ceramic particles. Such gradients pose great problems in the Wire Electrical Discharge Machining (WEDM), where the distribution of spark energies and the capability to remove materials become a zone-dependent process. The main aim of the research work is to investigate the effect of various machining control variables on the Cutting Speed (CS) and surface roughness during the machining in WEDM. An L27 experimental design was employed to systematically evaluate the influence of pulse on duration, wire tension, wire drum speed, and different zones of the FGC. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed that pulse on duration had the dominant effect on CS (80.30%), while wire tension was the primary contributor to surface roughness (33.11%). The increase in CS is attributed to higher spark energy concentration and improved plasma stability, which enhance the rate of localized melting and material expulsion, whereas the uniform wire movement stabilized the spark discharge, thereby reducing surface roughness. These findings help optimize WEDM parameters for FGCs, improving engineering applications’ machining efficiency and surface quality.

Data availability

The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article.

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Acknowledgements

The authors sincerely thank St. Joseph’s Institute of Technology, Chennai for their valuable support and assistance during the course of this research.

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Not applicable.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, St. Joseph’s Institute of Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

    S. Prathap Singh & D. Elil Raja

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Meenakshi College of Engineering, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

    C. Ramesh Kumar

  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, St. Joseph’s College of Engineering, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

    K. Gnanasekaran, S. Sowndar & M. Sundara Cholan

  4. Department of Additive Manufacturing, Mechanical Engineering, SIMATS, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Thandalam, Chennai, India

    Abhijit Bhowmik

  5. Division of Research and Development, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, 144411, Punjab, India

    Abhijit Bhowmik

  6. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bonga University, Bonga, Ethiopia

    Kedir Hussen

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Contributions

S Prathap Singh, D Elil Raja: Writing, InvestigationC Ramesh Kumar, K Gnanasekaran: Methodology, Data collectionAbhijit Bhowmik, Kedir Hussen: Software, ValidationS Sowndar, M Sundara Cholan: Writing, Figure preparation.

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Correspondence to Kedir Hussen.

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Prathap Singh, S., Elil Raja, D., Ramesh Kumar, C. et al. Evaluation of cutting speed and surface roughness in WEDM of functionally graded A356-10 wt% Si3N4 composite. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-44989-1

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  • Received: 16 January 2026

  • Accepted: 16 March 2026

  • Published: 19 March 2026

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-44989-1

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Keywords

  • Functionally graded composite
  • WEDM
  • Cutting speed
  • Surface roughness
  • A356 - Si₃N4
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