Effect of machining fluid on the process performance of electric discharge milling of insulating Al2O3 ceramic

Wire electric discharge machining (WEDM) and electrical discharge machining (EDM) promise to be effective and economical techniques for the production of tools and parts from conducting ceramic blanks. However, the manufacturing of insulating ceramic blanks with these processes is a long and costly process. This paper presents a new process of machining insulating ceramics using electrical discharge (ED) milling. ED milling uses a thin copper sheet fed to the tool electrode along the surface of the workpiece as the assisting electrode and uses a water-based emulsion as the machining fluid. This process is able to effectively machine a large surface area on insulating ceramics. Machining fluid is a primary factor that affects the material removal rate and surface quality of the ED milling. The effects of emulsion concentration, NaNO₃ concentration, polyvinyl alcohol concentration and flow velocity of the machining fluid on the process performance have been investigated.     

Effect of electrode material on electrical discharge machining of alumina

Technologies for machining advanced insulating ceramics are demanded in many industrial fields. Recently, several insulating ceramics, such as Si₃N₄, SiC and ZrO₂, have been successfully machined by electrical discharge machining (EDM). As unstable discharges occur during the machining of Al₂O₃ ceramics, inferior machining properties have been obtained. The formation mechanism of the electrical conductive layer on the EDMed surface is much different as compared to other ceramics. In addition to this, the electrically conductive layers are not formed sufficiently to adhere to the EDMed workpiece surface and keep a stable and continuous discharge generation on the ceramics. Graphite is widely used as electrode material in EDM. It is expected that carbon from graphite electrode implant and generate a conductive layer. Copper, graphite (Poco EDM-3) and copper-infiltrated-graphite (Poco EDM-C3) electrodes were used to compare the effects of generation of a conductive layer on alumina corresponding to EDM properties. The electrical discharge machining of 95% pure alumina shows that the EDM-C3 performs very well, giving significantly higher material removal rate (MRR) and lower electrode wear ratio than the EDM-3 and copper electrodes. The value of MRR was found to increase by 60% for EDM-3 with positive electrode polarity. As for EDM-C3, MRR was increased by 80% under the same condition. When the results were investigated with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), no element of copper was observed on the conductive layer with both EDM-3 and EDM-C3. However, surface resistivity of a conductive layer created with EDM-C3 is less than with EDM-3. Surface roughness was improved to 25 μm with positive polarity of EDM-C3.     

EDM performance of Cr/Cu-based composite electrodes

Electrode materials for electrical discharge machining (EDM) are usually graphite, copper and copper alloys because these materials have high melting temperature, and excellent electrical and thermal conductivity. The electrodes made by using powder metallurgy technology from special powders have been used to modify EDM surfaces in recent years, to improve wear and corrosion resistance. However, electrodes are normally fabricated at high temperatures and pressures, such that fabrication is expensive. This paper proposes a new method of blending the copper powders contained resin with chromium powders to form tool electrodes. Such electrodes are made at low pressure (20 MPa) and temperature (200 °C) in a hot mounting machine. The results showed that using such electrodes facilitated the formation of a modified surface layer on the work piece after EDM, with remarkable corrosion resistant properties. The optimal mixing ratio, appropriate pressure, and proper machining parameters (such as polarity, peak current, and pulse duration) were used to investigate the effect of the material removal rate (MRR), electrode wear rate (EWR), surface roughness, and thickness of the recast layer on the usability of these electrodes. According to the experimental results, a mixing ratio of Cu–0wt%Cr and a sinter pressure of 20 MPa obtained an excellent MRR. Moreover, this work also reveals that the composite electrodes obtained a higher MRR than Cu metal electrodes; the recast layer was thinner and fewer cracks were present on the machined surface. Furthermore, the Cr elements in the composite electrode migrated to the work piece, resulting in good corrosion resistance of the machined surface after EDM.     

绝缘性陶瓷电火花加工中生成导电膜的特性分析

采用辅助电极法，在设定加工条件下对绝缘性陶瓷材料Si3N4进行了电火花加工实验，分析了加工中生成导电膜的原因，研究了加工条件、加工深度与生成导电膜的厚度、电阻等特性的关系，指出了加工深度对生成导电膜的影响较大，且加工深度越深，生成导电膜厚度越厚、电阻越小。     

EDM turning using a strip electrode

Turning by electrical discharge machining (EDM turning) is an effective method to machine hard-to-cut materials. Generally, a wire-EDM is utilized in EDM turning because it is not concerned with electrode wear. However, wire-EDM turning has a slow machining speed due to its small machining area, and the wire may break due to overheating electrodes. For these reasons, its machining speed must be limited. In this study, a strip-EDM was created in an effort to overcome the problems in the EDM-turning process. This machining method used a conductive strip as an electrode. The strip was fed continuously, like a wire-EDM; therefore electrode wear was not a concern. One advantage of the strip-EDM was that it increased the material removal rate because of its large machining area and non-breaking electrode. In the experiments, machining characteristics were investigated according to machining conditions, and practical machining was carried out via fabrication of complex shapes on a shaft workpiece.     

电火花线切割加工铜钨合金切缝宽度及加工精度影响因素研究

铜钨合金是一种广泛应用于精密及难加工材料电火花成形加工的低损耗电极材料。在窄缝、清棱清角、高纵横比等结构的电极加工中,低速走丝电火花线切割加工较传统加工方法具有一定的优势。通过单因素实验研究了电火花线切割加工参数对铜钨合金粗加工切缝宽度、加工速度及表面粗糙度的影响规律,为实际加工提供理论指导。     

送电距离对绝缘陶瓷电火花加工生成导电膜特性的影响

采用辅助电极法，在设定加工条件下，对绝缘陶瓷材料Si3N4进行了电火花加工实验．研究了送电距离（指金属夹具与被加工位置的最近距离）对生成导电膜的厚度、电阻等特性的影响，得出了送电距离越远，生成的导电膜越薄、电阻越大及加工速度越小的结论。     

Some Considerations to Machining Characteristics of Insulating Ceramics-Towards Practical Use in Industry-

Machining of insulating ceramics can be realized in EDM by using the assisting electrode method. After a tool electrode cuts through the assisting electrode, a carbon layer covers the ceramics' surface during EDM. This carbon layer, formed from the decomposition of the hydrocarbon working oil, enhances the ceramics surface's conductivity. In this paper, machining phenomena of insulating ceramics are considered towards practical use in industry. Several kinds of insulating ceramics and assisting electrode materials are investigated under considerations of various machining characteristics; and high speed machining in W-EDM is carried out under conditions of lower tension than usual.     

Improvement of Dry EDM Characteristics Using Piezoelectric Actuator

This paper describes improvement of the machining characteristics of dry electrical discharge machining (dry EDM) by controlling the discharge gap distance using a piezoelectric actuator. Dry EDM is a new process characterized by small tool electrode wear, negligible damage generated on the machined surface, and significantly high material removal rate especially when oxygen gas is used. However, the narrow discharge gap length compared with conventional EDM using oil as the dielectric working fluid results in frequent occurrence of short circuiting which lowers material removal rate. A piezoelectric actuator with high frequency response was thus introduced to help control gap length of the EDM machine. To elucidate the effects of the piezoelectric actuator, an EDM performance simulator was newly developed to evaluate the machining stability and material removal rate of dry EDM.     

High-speed EDM milling with moving electric arcs

A novel high-speed electrical discharge machining (EDM) milling method using moving electric arcs has been proposed in this study. We connected a copper electrode rotating rapidly around its axis and a work piece to a DC power supply to generate a moving electric arc. To ensure high relative speed of any point on the electrode with respect to the work piece, the electrode was shaped like a pipe. It was observed that the electric arcs move rapidly within the discharge gap due to the revolution of the tool electrode, removing the materials on the electrode along the track of the arc roots. To explore the characteristics of machining with moving electric arcs, an EDM milling apparatus was devised. Two planes with approximately the same roughness were machined separately by this equipment and a traditional EDM machine for comparison. It was found that a much higher material removal rate can be easily achieved by EDM milling with moving electric arcs. In the meanwhile, wear of the tool electrode in this new method is negligible, which is greatly favorable for machining accuracy. The microstructures of these surfaces were also investigated for further information.     

石墨电极电火花加工非导电陶瓷SiO2实验研究

以导电胶涂层作为辅助电极、石墨作为工具电极,用实验的方法考察了电火花加工非导电陶瓷SiO2的可行性;证明在正极性加工条件下,石墨电极能增强导电膜生成,提高加工稳定性;并给出了脉冲宽度、加工电流等电参数对加工速度、电极损耗及表面质量等工艺指标的影响规律,得出了一些有益的结论.     

Investigation of the effects of electrode orientation and fluid flow rate in near-dry EDM milling

This research investigates the effects of electrode lead and tilt angles and dielectric fluid flow rate on material removal rate, tool electrode wear ratio, and surface roughness in near-dry electrical discharge machining (EDM) milling process. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is developed to predict the dielectric fluid flow rate and qualitatively compare with the experimentally measured EDM material removal rate. The optimum lead angle, which maximized material removal rate and minimized tool electrode wear ratio, was found. The decrease in the lead angle has a negative effect on the roughness of machined surface. The increase in tilt angle reduces the material removal rate and increases the tool electrode wear ratio. The change in tilt angle does not have a significant effect on the surface roughness and can be used to prevent gouging in finishing EDM milling. This study shows that the material removal rate is linearly proportional to the mass flow rate of air and kerosene mixture, the tool electrode wear ratio is inversely related to the mass flow rate of air and kerosene mixture, and the average surface roughness does not have a good correlation with the flow rate of the mixture.     

超声振动辅助气中放电加工实验分析

超声振动辅助气中放电加工技术避免了常用的煤油等工作液作为介质带来的环境污染问题，具有工作环境清洁、适用范围广、加工效率高、工具电极简单等优点。实验研究了电压、脉冲宽度、峰值电流、超声振幅及气体介质压力等参数对加工效率、工件表面粗糙度及电极损耗的影响．并对试验结果进行了分析。     

Electrical discharge machining of Ti6Al4V with a bundled electrode

The aim of this study is to investigate an efficient Ti6Al4V electrical discharge machining (EDM) process with a bundled die-sinking electrode. The feasibility of machining Ti6Al4V with a bundled electrode was studied and its effect on EDM performance was compared experimentally using a solid die-sinking electrode. The simulation results explain the high performance of the EDM process with a bundled electrode by through the use of multi-hole inner flushing to efficiently remove molten material from the inter-electrode gap and through the improved ability to apply a higher peak current. A 3-factor, 3-level experimental design was used to study the relationships between 2 machining performance parameters (material removal rate: MRR, tool wear ratio: TWR) and 3 machining parameters (fluid flow rate, peak current and pulse duration). The main effects and influences of the 2-factor interactions of these parameters on the performances of the EDM process with the bundled electrode are discussed.     

复杂流道构件组合放电加工技术研究

复杂流道构件的高效、高精度加工是液体火箭发动机的核心制造技术之一,随着发动机涡轮泵功率及涡轮效率的不断提升,涡轮泵复杂流道构件的加工去除量大幅增加,同时对加工精度的要求也越来越严格。故提出了高速放电铣削粗加工与多轴联动电火花成形精密加工复合的加工工艺,通过对复杂流道构件的高速放电铣削加工电极损耗补偿和多轴联动电火花成形加工轨迹规划等技术的研究,实现了复杂流道构件的高效、高精度放电加工。     

Gap control for near-dry EDM milling with lead angle

A new gap control strategy for five-axis milling using near-dry electrical discharge machining (EDM) has been experimentally investigated. The conventional EDM control strategy only allows the retraction of the electrode in the direction of machining trajectory, which results in inefficient gap control when the electrode is not perpendicular to the workpiece. The new gap controller is capable of retracting the electrode in the direction of its orientation. This enables more efficient enlargement of the discharge gap leading to faster recovery of average gap voltage. Experimental results show a 30% increase in material removal rate while the tool electrode wear ratio and surface roughness are not affected. Furthermore, EDM efficiency is improved due to the change in the electrode retraction in its axial direction. The gain tuning of the proposed controller is also discussed. This study shows the direction of electrode retraction is important for five-axis near-dry EDM milling.     

Workpiece debris deposition on tool electrodes and secondary discharge phenomena in micro-EDM

During electrical discharge machining (EDM), ablated workpiece material is rapidly solidified upon ejection into the dielectric and thought not to become reattached to the electrode surfaces. This work furthers the understanding of the little understood discharge gap phenomena by investigating the attachment of machined material back onto the tool electrode surface and explains the mechanism of this attachment. After the machining of high-aspect ratio slots, SEM and EDS techniques along with single discharge and cross-sectional analysis were used to explain that debris reattachment onto the tool electrode does not occur randomly but is dependent on its remelting in the dielectric by the secondary discharge process. The subsequently bonded material is present mainly in the centre of the discharge crater, with no attachment occurring outside of discharge affected regions. The surfaces of electrodes subject to intense secondary sparking are therefore liable to transient surface properties dependent on the composition of the deposited material. It is also observed that the deposited material on the tool electrode can offer a protective effect against wear from further secondary discharges and so potentially enhancing tool life.     

Surface modifications of Al–Zn–Mg alloy using combined EDM with ultrasonic machining and addition of TiC particles into the dielectric

This study proposes a novel combined process that integrates electrical discharge machining (EDM) and ultrasonic machining (USM) to investigate the machining performance and surface modification on Al–Zn–Mg alloy. In the experiment, TiC particles were added into the dielectric to explore the influence of the combined process on the material removal rate (MRR), the relative electrode wear ratio (REWR), the surface roughness and the expansion of the machined hole. The elemental distributions of titanium and carbon on the cross-section were quantitatively determined using an electron probe micro-analyzer (EPMA). Microhardness and wear resistance tests were conducted to evaluate the modifications on the machined surface caused by the combined process. The experimental results show that the combined process was associated with improved machining performance. The combination of EDM with USM yielded an alloyed layer that improved the hardness and wear resistance of the machined surface.     

Compound machining of titanium alloy by super high speed EDM milling and arc machining

A novel compound machining of titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) by super high speed electrical discharge machining (EDM) milling and arc machining was proposed in this paper. The power supply consisted of a pulse generator and a DC power source which were isolated from each other. A rotating pipe graphite electrode was connected to the negative pole of the power supply. The plasma channel was able to deionize, and maximum material removal rate (MRR) reached 21,494 mm³/min with a relative electrode wear ratio (REWR) of 1.7% because of high current and efficient flushing. Compared with traditional EDM, the compound machining achieved a significantly higher MRR but a similar REWR. To investigate the characteristics of the compound machining, the effects of electrode polarity, peak voltage, peak current, and flushing pressure on the performance of the process, including its MRR, REWR, and radius of overcut (ROC), were determined. In addition, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and microhardness analysis were conducted. Result shows that the proposed method can machine difficult-to-machine materials efficiently.