Workpiece surface modification using electrical discharge machining

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is a widely used process in the mould / die and aerospace industries. Following a brief summary of the process, the paper reviews published work on the deliberate surface alloying of various workpiece materials using EDM. Details are given of operations involving powder metallurgy (PM) tool electrodes and the use of powders suspended in the dielectric fluid, typically aluminium, nickel, titanium, etc. Following this, experimental results are presented on the surface alloying of AISI H13 hot work tool steel during a die sink operation using partially sintered WC / Co electrodes operating in a hydrocarbon oil dielectric. An L8 fractional factorial Taguchi experiment was used to identify the effect of key operating factors on output measures (electrode wear, workpiece surface hardness, etc.). With respect to microhardness, the percentage contribution ratios (PCR) for peak current, electrode polarity and pulse on time were ˜24, 20 and 19%, respectively. Typically, changes in surface metallurgy were measured up to a depth of ˜30 μm (with a higher than normal voltage of ˜270 V) and an increase in the surface hardness of the recast layer from ˜620 HK_0.025 up to ˜1350 HK_0.025.     

Surface modification of Al–Zn–Mg alloy by combined electrical discharge machining with ball burnish machining

The study investigated the feasibility of modifying the surface of Al–Zn–Mg alloy by a combined process of electric discharge machining (EDM) with ball burnish machining (BBM). A novel process that integrates EDM and BBM is also developed to conduct experiments on an electric discharge machine. Machining parameters of the combined process, including machining polarity, peak current, power supply voltage, and the protruding of ZrO₂, are chosen to determine their effects on material removal rate, surface roughness and the improvement ratio of surface roughness. In addition, the extent to which the combined process affects surface modification is also evaluated by microhardness and corrosion resistance tests. Experimental results indicate that the combined process of EDM with BBM can effectively improve the surface roughness to obtain a fine-finishing and flat surface. The micropores and cracks caused from EDM are eliminated during the process as well. Furthermore, such a process can reinforce and increase the corrosion resistance of the machined surface after machining.     

Near dry electrical discharge machining

This study investigates the near dry electrical discharge machining (EDM) process. Near dry EDM uses liquid–gas mixture as the two phase dielectric fluid and has the benefit to tailor the concentration of liquid and properties of dielectric medium to meet desired performance targets. A dispenser for minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) is utilized to supply a minute amount of liquid droplets at a controlled rate to the gap between the workpiece and electrode. Wire EDM cutting and EDM drilling are investigated under the wet, dry, and near dry conditions. The mixture of water and air is the dielectric fluid used for near dry EDM in this study. Near dry EDM shows advantages over the dry EDM in higher material removal rate (MRR), sharper cutting edge, and less debris deposition. Compared to wet EDM, near dry EDM has higher material removal rate at low discharge energy and generates a smaller gap distance. However, near dry EDM places a higher thermal load on the electrode, which leads to wire breakage in wire EDM and increases electrode wear in EDM drilling. A mathematical model, assuming that the gap distance consists of the discharge distance and material removal depth, was developed to quantitatively correlate the water–air mixture's dielectric strength and viscosity to the gap distance.     

High-speed dry electrical discharge machining

A novel high-speed dry electrical discharge machining (EDM) method was proposed in this study. Using this method, the material can be rapidly melted by extremely high discharge energy and flushed out of the discharge gap by high-pressure and high-speed air flow. The material removal rate (MRR) of dry EDM was significantly improved by the proposed method. The MRR of dry EDM is usually in tens mm³/min, whereas the MRR of the proposed method can be as high as 5162 mm³/min, which improves the MRR by 2nd to 3rd order of magnitude. Investigation was conducted systemically. The influences of work piece polarity, discharge current, pulse duration time, gas pressure, and electrode rotation speed on machining performance were studied. The machining mechanism of this method was thoroughly analyzed. Moreover, the re-solidified layer, surface morphology, elementary composition, and phase of AISI 304 stainless steel for high-speed dry EDM were also investigated. Theoretical and technical foundations were laid for the industry application of dry EDM.     

A review on current research trends in electrical discharge machining (EDM)

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is one of the earliest non-traditional machining processes. EDM process is based on thermoelectric energy between the work piece and an electrode. A pulse discharge occurs in a small gap between the work piece and the electrode and removes the unwanted material from the parent metal through melting and vaporising. The electrode and the work piece must have electrical conductivity in order to generate the spark. There are various types of products which can be produced using EDM such as dies and moulds. Parts of aerospace, automotive industry and surgical components can be finished by EDM. This paper reviews the research trends in EDM on ultrasonic vibration, dry EDM machining, EDM with powder additives, EDM in water and modeling technique in predicting EDM performances.     

Micro hole machining by conventional penetration electrical discharge machine

This work aims to study the parameters that affect the micro hole machining process (diameter smaller than 0.1 mm and thickness/diameter relation bigger than 20), by electro-erosion penetration process in sheets. To make the execution of the micro holes in conventional machines possible, the construction of two devices is proposed, a mechanical and an optical one. From results experimentally obtained, the process proved to be technically and economically viable, mainly if compared with mechanic drilling, as it presents advantages when cost per tool, number of holes per tool, drilling length, and precision of the holed dimension are considered. The circularity deviation provided by the experiment was smaller than 0.01 for 0.1 mm diameter holes made in 2.4 mm thick SAE 1010 steel sheets. It was also concluded that the quality of the hole directly depends on the cleaning process.     

A fuzzy pulse discriminating system for electrical discharge machining

In this paper, the use of fuzzy set theory to construct a new pulse discriminator in electrical discharge machining (EDM) is reported. The classification of various discharge pulses in EDM is based on the features of the measured gap voltage and gap current. To obtain optimal classification performance, a machine learning method based on a simulated annealing algorithm is adopted to automatically synthesize the membership functions of the fuzzy pulse discriminator. Experimental results have shown that EDM discharge pulses can be not only correctly but also quickly classified under varying cutting conditions using this approach.     

Thermal stresses due to electrical discharge machining

The high temperature gradients generated at the gap during electrical discharge machining (EDM) result in large localized thermal stresses in a small heat-affected zone. These thermal stresses can lead to micro-cracks, decrease in strength and fatigue life and possibly catastrophic failure. A finite element model has been developed to estimate the temperature field and thermal stresses due to Gaussian distributed heat flux of a spark during EDM. First, the developed code calculates the temperature in the workpiece and then the thermal stress field is estimated using this temperature field. The effects of various process variables (current and duty cycle) on temperature distribution and thermal stress distribution have been reported. The results of the analysis show high temperature gradient zones and the regions of large stresses where, sometimes, they exceed the material yield strength.     

Sink electrical discharge machining of hydrophobic surfaces

The phenomenon of hydrophobicity observed in such surfaces as lotus leaves is typically manifest by hierarchical structures on low-energy surfaces. Sustained interest in fabricating hydrophobic surfaces has resulted in a myriad of processes, which are but limited by their largely referring to soft materials and/or involving multiple process steps. The present work explored the application of electrical discharge machining (EDM) for the single-step manufacture of durable, metallic hydrophobic surfaces. Simple sink EDM in a hydrocarbon dielectric, with no special process kinematic or tooling requirements, is demonstrated to rapidly generate surfaces that are intrinsically water repellent, with contact angles approaching 150°.     

微小齿轮模具的微细电火花线切割加工研究

介绍了微细电火花线切割加工微小齿轮模具的方法，其关键技术包括：晶体管可控微能量RC脉冲电源、间隙放电状态检测系统、基于压电陶瓷电机驱动的精密伺服机构和偏开路加工控制策略。使用微细电火花线切割加工机可一次切割出厚度为1mm、模数为0．04和厚度为3、5mm、模数为0．1的微小齿轮模具，表明由微细电火花线切割加工出的微小齿轮模具能满足微成形加工的技术要求。     

A study on pulse control for small-hole electrical discharge machining

Small-hole EDM has a problem of debris evacuation from the narrow gap between the electrode and workpiece. The presence and difficulty in evacuating the debris formed during an erosion process limit the achievable aspect ratio. To address the problem of debris accumulation, a pulse generator, which is able to shut off harmful pulses and to apply high discharge energy pulses, is developed. A FPGA chip is used as the master controller for the determination of pulse discharge status and MOSFET switching. A series of experiments are carried out to examine the machining performance by shutting off harmful pulses and applying high discharge energy pulses. The experimental results show that the efficiency of small-hole drilling is improved and the aspect ratio is increased.     

Breakout detection in fast hole electrical discharge machining

Real time tracking of the working end of the tool in fast hole electrical discharge drilling process is not straightforward due to extensive relative erosion of the tool, which manifests as severe longitudinal and shape wear. This poses a problem in terms of sensing hole breakout as well as hole completion, with adverse implications on process productivity and component quality. To this end, this paper presents a scheme that concurrently monitors the back pressure of the dielectric fluid injected through the tool and the displacement of the machine tool ram, to detect hole breakout and completion, respectively. Implementation of such a system has the scope for significantly enhancing process output, particularly in applications that entail the drilling of a large number of holes.     

Applications of acoustic mapping in electrical discharge machining

The spatial distribution of discharges in electrical discharge machining (EDM) comprises valuable process information, which is not accurately obtained from electrical signals that are utilized extensively for process monitoring and control. This research hence explored the application of acoustic emission (AE) to map the discharges, in consideration of the acoustic time lag. In particular, the work refers to realistic process conditions, wherein AE from successive discharges cause repeated signal interference, which is detrimental to reliable time lag estimation. The applications of this capability for the respective identification of electrode length and workpiece height in fast-hole EDM and wire EDM are presented.     

线切割加工质量的分析及改善措施

线切割加工在模具制造业中常用于加工精密、微细的模具零件。通过介绍线切割的加工原理,研究了线切割加工过程容易产生的加工质量缺陷,分析了加工面变形与开裂、变质层及表面粗糙度产生的原因,提出了进一步提高工件表面质量的改善措施和方法。实践中可以通过合理选材、优化电参数、选择正确的加工路线等方面综合分析和控制线切割加工,在保证生产率的前提下,改善和提高线切割加工质量。     

Power metallurgy tool electrodes for electrical discharge machining

Electrodes in electrical discharge machining (EDM) can be compared with cutting tools in conventional machining. Tool performance is one of the important factors that determine the quality of the machined component. Due to the ease of manufacturing and control over the properties of electrodes, the powder metallurgy (P/M) technique has an advantage over other methods of electrode fabrication. P/M electrodes affect the micro- and macrovariables in EDM and the properties of P/M electrodes can be controlled over a wide range by adjusting the compacting and sintering conditions. The performance of P/M electrodes on various aspects of EDM operation is discussed in this paper.     

Recast layer removal after electrical discharge machining via Taguchi analysis: A feasibility study

This study explores the feasibility of removing the recast layer (RCL) using etching and mechanical grinding for Ni-based superalloy materials by means of electrical discharge machining (EDM). The EDM process is widely used for machining hard metals and performing specific tasks that cannot be achieved using conventional techniques. The sparks produced during the EDM process melt the metal's surface, which then undergo ultra rapid quenching. A layer forms on the workpiece surface defined as a recast layer after solidification. Molds and dies desire to remove the RCL even though it is hard and has good matrix adherence.This experiment is divided into three stages. The first stage acquires a thick recast layer by using EDM with a larger discharging energy. A thick recast layer is essential for verification of the EDM technique for observing the recast process. Thus, this work applies the Taguchi L₁₈ analytical method to acquire the thick recast layer. The second stage optimizes the recast layer removal technique. Therefore, the thick recast layer is intentionally made in the first stage. This work determines the second stage setting using Taguchi's recommendation. Thus, the L₉ orthogonal array sets up the etching and mechanical grinding parameters and observes the recast layer removal quantity analysis. Finally, an experiment studies the surface characteristics of Ni-based superalloys, such as composition and micro-hardness after removing the recast layer.     

Development of a process signature for electrical discharge machining

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is a versatile unconventional machining process allowing high precision manufacturing. Due to the thermal main active principle, the process-induced heat affected rim zone always needs to be particularly considered regarding its characteristics as the resulting surface integrity has to fulfill the needed functional properties for advanced applications. Today, no deterministic model is available especially for the residual stress prediction. As consequence, current process design is based on experience and heuristic optimization. The paper therefore mechanistically links the material modification and the process-induced load. Inversion of the according process signature component finally allows model-based process design.     

Wire electrical discharge machining applied to high-speed rotating workpieces

In order to evaluate the influence of high-speed rotating workpieces on wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM), single discharge experiments were carried out inside a grinding machine, in a self-designed wire electrical discharge dressing device (WEDD-device). The shape and size of eroded craters, measured on the workpiece/anode, were found to be highly influenced by the applied relative speed. Based on the crater's shape, its radial expansion speed can be calculated and the slip of the plasma arc column can be measured. Additionally, it was found that the volume of eroded craters increases as relative speed is increased, indicating that higher melting efficiencies are achieved for higher relative speeds. Finally, an electro-thermal model is described and simulation results are discussed, which help to better understand the influence of relative speed on erosion.     

An investigation of ultrasonic-assisted electrical discharge machining in gas

This study focuses on using ultrasonic to improve the efficiency in electrical discharge machining (EDM) in gas medium. The new method is referred to as ultrasonic-assisted electrical discharge machining (UEDM). In the process of UEDM in gas, the tool electrode is a thin-walled pipe, the high-pressure gas medium is applied from inside, and the ultrasonic actuation is applied onto the workpiece. In our experiment, the workpiece material is AISI 1045 steel and the electrode material is copper. The experiment results indicate that (a) the Material Removal Rate (MRR) is increased with respect to the increase of the open voltage, the pulse duration, the amplitude of ultrasonic actuation, the discharge current, and the decrease of the wall thickness of electrode pipe; and (b) the surface roughness is increased with respect to the increase of the open voltage, the pulse duration, and the discharge current. Based on experimental results, a theoretical model to estimate the MRR and the surface roughness is developed.