Assessment of abrasion-assisted material removal in wire EDM

Machining speed and surface integrity continue to be issues of focus in current wire EDM research. In this light, the proof-of-concept of a hybrid wire EDM process that utilizes a wire embedded with electrically non-conducting abrasives is presented. Material removal in this novel process is realized through electrical erosion that is augmented by two-body abrasion. This is shown to bring about a significant improvement in the removal rate and generate surfaces with minimal recast material, in comparison to an equivalent wire EDM process. Implementation details and process characteristics are discussed.     

超声振动磨削放电复合加工SiCp／Al试验研究

针对SiCp／Al的加工,提出一种超声振动磨削放电复合加工的方法．从加工效率、加工稳定性及表面质量等方面与电火花加工进行了对比试验研究。分析了两种加工方法的脉冲宽度和峰值电流对加工速度和表面粗糙度的影响,结果表明：电火花加工的表面粗糙度平均值为尺04．5μm,超声振动磨削放电复合加工的表面粗糙度平均值为Ra2μm：超声振动磨削放电复合加工的稳定性比电火花加工好,但加工速度较低。通过扫描电镜对两种加工方法下零件表面形貌和重熔层进行了观测,对试件表面进行了X射线衍射分析,表明采用超声振动磨削放电复合加工SiCp／Al复合材料可获得较好的表面质量。     

Electrical discharge machining using simple and powder-mixed dielectric: The effect of the electrode area in the surface roughness and topography

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is one of the most widely disseminated manufacturing technologies, in particular as regards the generation of accurate and complex geometrical shapes on hard metallic components. Nevertheless current EDM technologies have major limitations when dealing with fine surface finish over large process area. Indeed this is one reason that explains the need of final manual polishing of mould cavities performed by EDM. Recently EDM with powder-mixed dielectric (PMD-EDM) has been a focus of an intense research work in order to overcome these technological performance barriers. This paper presents a research work within the objective to acquire deep knowledge on EDM technology with powder mixed dielectric and to compare its performance to the conventional EDM when dealing with the generation of high-quality surfaces. In particular the analysis of the effect of the electrode area in the surface quality measured by the surface roughness and craters morphology was carried out for both technologies. The results achieved evidenced a linear relationship between the electrode area and the surface quality measures as well as a significant performance improvement when the powder mixed dielectric is used.     

3D surface topography assessment of the effect of different electrolytes during electrochemical polishing of EDM surfaces

In many countries the most common polishing practice in die making is to hand polish the part as a finishing operation after the electro discharge machining process (EDM). The usual polishing abrasives are silicon carbide paper and diamond paste of different grit sizes.However, during the last decade researchers especially in Japan and the USA have tried to combine EDM and electrochemical machining (ECM) in one machine so as to use the positive aspects of each individual process. The ECM process uses high density, typically 50 A/cm², and also a pulse current with a servo-controlled electrode. These investigators have mostly used sodium nitrate solutions (of different concentrations) as the electrolyte.This paper deals with an experiment that was undertaken in order to assess the effect of four different electrolytes in an electrochemical polishing process (ECP) on the surface topography of EDM surfaces. The primary set of 3D surface parameters was used as a basis to characterise the surface produced by the combined processes in different electrolytic media.     

EDM and the resulting hydrogen embrittlement of maraging steel

The use of electrical discharge machining (EDM), or spark erosion as it is sometimes called, introduces hydrogen into maraging steel 250 such that brittle fracture surfaces result from embrittlement accelerated by slow-strain-rate tensile tests. Brittle fracture features indicate potential premature failure due to hydrogen embrittlement. Experimental control was provided by test specimens machined by abrasive waterjet, a machining technique that does not evolve hydrogen as a part of the machining process. Hydrogen concentration measurements indicate the hydrogen concentration of specimens fabricated by EDM is approximately 0.5 ppm, while that of specimens machined by abrasive waterjet is approximately 0.1 ppm. On the basis of constant-load tests, the time to failure of test specimens machined by EDM and loaded to 50% of the yield strength is estimated to be a minimum of 30 years.     

3D surface characterisation of electropolished EDMed surface and quantitative assessment of process variables using Taguchi Methodology

The electro discharge machining (EDM) process produces surfaces that require some form of finishing operation. This is done in order to improve the surface texture and appearance of the component’s surface. However, it is also desirable to remove the white uppermost recast layer (produced by the EDM process) so as to improve the functional performance of the surface. Electropolishing or electrochemical polishing (ECP) is one technique that is used mainly to improve the appearance of steels as well as for passivation of stainless steels. However, this process is very complex in nature, and it is not well understood how the different process parameters influence the surface integrity of the component in salt solutions. The aim of this paper is to present the results of a preliminary design of experiment of an EDM+ECP process sequence using Taguchi methodology. 3D characterisation of the surfaces has been done and ANOVA technique has been used to assess the quantitative influence of the different process factors of ECP. The results have shown that the direct current is the most dominant factor in modifying the surface texture, especially the S_q and S_m 3D parameters. The interaction effect between current and distance between electrodes is relatively important as compared to the individual effect of the latter variable.     

电火花诱导烧蚀磨削修整复合加工方法研究

针对放电诱导烧蚀加工在高效加工的同时易在工件表面产生巨大烧蚀坑的问题,提出了电火花诱导烧蚀磨削修整复合加工方法。对钛合金TC4进行了电火花加工、烧蚀加工、诱导烧蚀磨削修整复合加工的对比实验,研究机械磨削作用对烧蚀性能的影响。在钛合金烧蚀加工实验过程中,用复合机械磨头进行修整能显著提高加工效率,达到1107 mm3/min,是同等条件下电火花加工的6.77倍、烧蚀加工的1.27倍。由于存在机械磨削修整作用,可在线去除烧蚀产物,露出基体材料,工件表面粗糙度优于烧蚀加工,甚至优于同等电参数下的电火花加工,达到了在获得高效加工的同时提升表面质量的目的。     

A comparative study of surface integrity of Ti–6Al–4V alloy machined by EDM and AECG

The electrical discharge machining (EDM) process produces the recast layer with or without cracks on the surface that requires a remedial post-treatment in the manufacture of critical or highly stressed surfaces. One of the frequently used post-treatment processes is also the abrasive electrochemical grinding (AECG) and it has been widely used in the precision machining of difficult-to-cut materials due to an enhanced surface integrity and productivity. The aim of this study is to investigate improvability of surface integrity in terms of machining voltage, electrolyte flow rate and table feed rate parameters of AECG in EDMed Ti6Al4V alloy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectrograph (EDS) and surface roughness measurement were performed to study the surface characteristics of the machined samples. Experimental results indicate that the AECG process effectively improves the surface roughness and eliminates the EDM damages completely by setting suitable grinding parameters.     

Effect of near-surface residual stress and microstructure modification from machining on the fatigue endurance of a tool steel

This study concerns the effect of machining on the fatigue life of an EN X155CrMoV12 tool steel (SAE J438b), with regard to the generation of near-surface residual stress and microstructural modification of the machined surface. Two possible methods for machining tool steels were compared: electro-discharge machining (EDM), a high energy density process, and milling, a more conventional cutting process. Particular attention was given to characterization of the surface roughness, microstructure, and residual stress, using a combination of microstructural analysis, crack observation, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and chemical composition changes by energy-dispersive x-ray. A decrease of around 35% in the fatigue limit was observed for the EDM samples, compared with the milled samples. This was attributed to a tensile residual stress state after EDM, combined with significant phase transformation and hydrogen embrittlement. The milled surfaces showed no microstructural transformation or surface cracking and contained compressive residual stresses, all of which contributed to an improved fatigue resistance.     

State of the art electrical discharge machining (EDM)

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is a well-established machining option for manufacturing geometrically complex or hard material parts that are extremely difficult-to-machine by conventional machining processes. The non-contact machining technique has been continuously evolving from a mere tool and die making process to a micro-scale application machining alternative attracting a significant amount of research interests.In recent years, EDM researchers have explored a number of ways to improve the sparking efficiency including some unique experimental concepts that depart from the EDM traditional sparking phenomenon. Despite a range of different approaches, this new research shares the same objectives of achieving more efficient metal removal coupled with a reduction in tool wear and improved surface quality.This paper reviews the research work carried out from the inception to the development of die-sinking EDM within the past decade. It reports on the EDM research relating to improving performance measures, optimising the process variables, monitoring and control the sparking process, simplifying the electrode design and manufacture. A range of EDM applications are highlighted together with the development of hybrid machining processes. The final part of the paper discusses these developments and outlines the trends for future EDM research.     

Tool path generation for 4-axis contour EDM rough machining

Contour or CNC EDM machining of free-form surfaces requires tool paths that are different from those used in mechanical milling although in geometry both processes are described by the similar model of intersection between the rotating tool and the workpiece. In this paper, special requirements on tool paths demanded by contour EDM machining are studied and a two-phase tool path generation method for 4-axis contour EDM rough milling with a cylindrical electrode is developed. In the first phase of the method, initial tool paths for virtual 3-axis milling are generated in a commercial CAD/CAM system—Unigraphics, which provides users with plenty of options in choosing suitable tool path patterns. From these tool paths, cutter contact (CC) points between electrode and workpiece are reversely calculated. In the second phase, considering the special requirements of EDM machining, which include discharging gap compensation, electrode wear compensation, DC arcing prevention, etc., the electrode is adjusted to an optimized interference-free orientation by rotating it around the CC points obtained in the previous phase. This new orientation together with the reference point of electrode is output as new tool path. The whole algorithm has been integrated into Unigraphics, machining simulations and tests have been conducted for 4-axis contour EDM rough machining.     

Geometric modeling of the linear motor driven electrical discharge machining (EDM) die-sinking process

Based on Z-map method, in this paper the development of a geometric model for the linear motor equipped EDM die-sinking process is described. Firstly discussed are the advantages and benefits of the introduction of the linear motor into EDM die-sinker. The current model has been employed to calculate the minimum gap distance for sparks to occur and to analyze the possibility of spark generation between the workpiece and electrode surfaces. Also calculated is the crater formed by a single spark. The final machined surface topography is predicted. The influence of peak current and discharge duration on the average surface roughness is simulated. The experiment has been conducted to study the effects of machining conditions as well as to verify the effectiveness of the developed geometric model.     

六轴联动电火花加工数控系统及机床

针对闭式整体涡轮叶盘的特殊加工要求,充分利用六轴联动所能提供的空间可达性．提出并实现了一些专门用于加工闭式涡轮叶盘的特殊功能,旨在大幅提高系统的加工效率与精度。降低加工成本。基于开源操作系统与可编程运动控制器,开发了六轴联动电火花加工数控系统．用于控制3个移动轴和3个回转轴的同时插补。该系统包括连续平滑的空间曲线路径及电极空间姿态角的六轴联动单位弧长增量法直接插补技术、曲线路径的六轴联动伺服进给与回退技术、曲线路径的六轴联动抬刀技术等。六轴联动极大地提高了加工柔性与自由度。使该系统可用于更多类型、更复杂曲面的加工。     

An algorithm for surface design and tool path generation in wire-cut electrical discharge machining

This paper proposes a CAD/CAM mathematical foundation to design ruled surfaces for wire-cut electrical discharge machining (EDM). This method combines the boundary planes concept, the coordinate representation of lines, control lines and design function to generate free form ruled surfaces. The tool motion and offset surface can also be generated simply by the same approach for computer numerical control (CNC) wire-cut EDM. The algorithm, being different from conventional methods, can present a surface or tool path concisely and uniquely. A numerical example is given to illustrate the proposed approach.     

Fatigue response of a grain refined TiAl alloy Ti-44Al-5Nb-1W-1B with varied surface quality and thermal exposure history

Fatigue specimens with four types of designed surface (EDM plane-sited, EDM notched, shot peened, electropolished) were assessed under three exposure conditions (no exposure, block exposure, individual exposure-oxidation at 700 °C for 10000 h) to quantify the effects of surface roughness, stress concentration, oxidation and inner microstructural embrittlement on fatigue behaviour of a grain refined TiAl alloy Ti-44Al-5Nb-1W-1B. With the yield strength of 568 MPa, fatigue is found to occur under a loading condition of σ_max<σ_0.1. Local plastic deformation is difficult to occur. The alloy becomes sensitive to surface damages but not to V-notch because the small surface area sampling the highest stress significantly reduces the EDM impact. Electropolishing rather than shot peening is found to be more effective in improving fatigue strength for the high strength alloy. When subjected to block exposure, both annealing effect (beneficial) and microstructural embrittlement (detrimental) occurred on all the surfaces, and the latter was dominant in governing fatigue behaviour except for EDM surfaces. After individual exposure-oxidation, fatigue performance deteriorated significantly for the shot peened and moderately for the electropolished but not for EDM surfaces. The mechanism for specific fatigue behaviour is discussed individually based upon whether or not the beneficial effects outweigh the detrimental effects.     

Influence of silicon powder-mixed dielectric on conventional electrical discharge machining

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is a technological process with a large industrial implementation. Its use is particularly intense when very complex shapes on hard materials with a high geometrical and dimensional accuracy are required. However, the technological capability of the process has limited its application when the specification of the part surface quality imposes polished and mirror-like characteristics. The addition of powder particles in suspension in the dielectric modifies some process variables and creates the conditions to achieve a high surface quality in large areas. This paper presents a new research work aiming to study the performance improvement of conventional EDM when used with a powder-mixed dielectric. A silicon powder was used and the improvement is assessed through quality surface indicators and process time measurements, over a set of different processing areas. The results show the positive influence of the silicon powder in the reduction of the operating time, required to achieve a specific surface quality, and in the decrease of the surface roughness, allowing the generation of mirror-like surfaces.     

A plate capacitor model of the EDM process based on the field emission theory

The electrical discharge machining (EDM) process is, by far, the most popular amongst the non-conventional machining processes. The technology is optimum for accurate machining of complicated shapes in hard materials, required in the modern industry. However, although a lot of EDM machines are widely applied for many years, fundamental knowledge of the process is still limited. The complex nature of the process involves simultaneous interaction of thermal, plasma temperature and electromagnetism factors, which makes the machining process modeling very difficult. In this paper, based on the analysis of the electric discharge machining (EDM) process, a plate capacitor model is constructed to describe the discharging process in a pulse time. The whole EDM process is divided into four stages, successively as interelectrode electric-field establishment, electric discharge channel formation, stable EDM and deionization, the interaction of each stage and the distribution function of EDM energy are deduced using the field electron emission theory. For the purpose of analyzing the effect of the single factor, a set of machining through-hole experiments were carried out and investigated. The study shows that critical electric-field intensity and the effective discharging time rate play major roles on the improvement of machining efficiency; the model can explain the differences of machining efficiency using different materials of tool pole and different EDM parameters; and the theoretical results are concordant with the experimental data well.     

A numerical model of the EDM process considering the effect of multiple discharges

The electrical discharge machining (EDM) process is, by far, the most popular amongst the non-conventional machining processes. The technology is optimum for accurate machining of complex geometries in hard materials, as those required in the tooling industry. However, although a large number of EDM machines are sold every year, scientific knowledge of the process is still limited. The complex nature of the process involves simultaneous interaction of thermal, mechanical, chemical and electrical phenomena, which makes process modelling very difficult. In this paper a new contribution to the simulation and modelling of the EDM process is presented. Temperature fields within the workpiece generated by the superposition of multiple discharges, as it happens during an actual EDM operation, are numerically calculated using a finite difference schema. The characteristics of the discharge for a given operation, namely energy transferred onto the workpiece, diameter of the discharge channel and material removal efficiency can be estimated using inverse identification from the results of the numerical model. The model has been validated through industrial EDM tests, showing that it can efficiently predict material removal rate and surface roughness with errors below 6%.     

Investigation of wire electrical discharge machining of thin cross-sections and compliant mechanisms

The wire electrical discharge machining (EDM) of cross-section with minimum thickness and compliant mechanisms is studied. Effects of EDM process parameters, particularly the spark cycle time and spark on-time on thin cross-section cutting of Nd–Fe–B magnetic material, carbon bipolar plate, and titanium are investigated. An envelope of feasible wire EDM process parameters is generated for the commercially pure titanium. The application of such envelope to select suitable EDM process parameters for micro feature generation is demonstrated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of EDM surface, subsurface, and debris are presented. SEM observations lead to a hypothesis based on the thermal and electrostatic stress induced fracture to explain the limiting factor for wire EDM cutting of thin-sections. Applications of the thin cross-section EDM cutting for manufacture of compliant mechanisms are discussed.     

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.