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.

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State of the art electrical discharge machining (EDM)

Metal matrix composites (MMCs) are newly advanced materials having the properties of light weight, high specific strength, good wear resistance and a low thermal expansion coefficient. These materials are extensively used in industry. Greater hardness and reinforcement makes it difficult to machine using traditional techniques, which has impeded the development of MMCs. The use of traditional machinery to machine hard composite materials causes serious tool wear due to the abrasive nature of reinforcement. These materials can be machined by many non-traditional methods like water jet and laser cutting but these processes are limited to linear cutting only. Electrical discharge machining (EDM) shows higher capability for cutting complex shapes with high precision for these materials. The paper presents a review of EDM process and year wise research work done in EDM on MMCs. The paper also discusses the future trend of research work in the same area.

Review of research work in sinking EDM and WEDM on metal matrix composite materials

Study of added powder in kerosene for the micro-slit machining of titanium alloy using electro-discharge machining

In microelectrodischarge machining (micro-EDM), dielectric plays an important role during machining operation. The machining characteristics are greatly influenced by the nature of dielectric used during micro-EDM machining. Present paper addresses the issues of micro-EDM utilizing different types of dielectrics such as kerosene, deionized water, boron carbide (B4C) powder suspended kerosene, and deionized water to explore the influence of these dielectrics on the performance criteria such as material removal rate (MRR), tool wear rate (TWR), overcut, diameteral variance at entry and exit hole and surface integrity during machining of titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V). The experimental results revealed that MRR and TWR are higher using deionized water than kerosene. Also, when suspended particles, i.e., boron carbide-mixed dielectrics are used, MRR is found to increase with deionized water, but TWR decreases with kerosene dielectric. Further analysis is carried out with the help of scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs, and it is found that the thickness of white layer is less on machined surface when deionized water is used as compared to kerosene. Also, a comparative study of machining time has been carried out for the four types of dielectrics at different machining parametric settings. Furthermore, the investigation on the machined surface integrity and wear on microtool tip have also been done in each type of the dielectrics with the help of SEM micrographs and optical photographs. Hence micro-EDM machining on Ti-6Al-4V work material with B4C-mixed dielectrics is performed in the investigation and reported the performance criteria of the process. It can be concluded from the research investigation that there is a great influence of mixing of boron carbide additive in deionized water dielectrics for enhancing machining performance characteristics in micro-EDM during microhole generation on Ti-6Al-4V alloy.

Comparative study of different dielectrics for micro-EDM performance during microhole machining of Ti-6Al-4V alloy

The use of SiC powder in water as dielectric for micro-slit EDM machining

Micro-electrodischarge machining ( medm ) using water as a working fluid is systematically studied to find its characteristics. As a result, the unique advantages of high removal rate, low electrode wear and consequently higher working efficiency, without formation of carbonaceous materials are found under optimum experimental conditions, as compared with the case when kerosene is used. This was achieved by the choice of suitable combinations of electrode and workpiece materials and electrode polarity. Use of a tungsten electrode with straight polarity is exceedingly good with respect to high removal rate and low electrode wear. This makes it possible to obtain a non-tapered straight micro-hole around 0.1 mm in diameter with a certain anticipative working gap. The advantageous properties of this machining method are effectively utilized to drill deep micro-holes with a ratio of depth to diameter of the order of 10–17 as in the case of 2.9 mm depth and 0.17 mm diameter, which is superior to the limits achievable with both electrodischarge drilling ( edd ) using kerosene and mechanical drilling with a micro-drill.

Micro-electrodischarge machining using water as a working fluid—I: micro-hole drilling

Micro-electro discharge machining (MEDM) using water as a working fluid, with its advantages of high removal rate and low electrode wear without formation of carbonaceous material, for deep micro-hole drilling with large ratios of depth to diameter is applied to the fabrication of narrow slits used for ultra-violet spectrometers. The optimum condition for narrow slit fabrication is investigated concerning the electric discharge circuit and combinations of electrode, workpiece materials and electrode polarity. As a result, it is possible to fabricate fine slits as narrow as 20 μm wide and 3 mm long with fairly fine surface roughness of around 1 μm. Comparative estimation with an optical diffraction method shows that slits made by MEDM and commercially available ones made by photoetching are both of the same level in quality as determined from the higher order spots of the diffraction pattern. The MEDM method is superior to photoetching in fabricating finer and more accurate slits much faster.

K. Yada

Papers

Micro-electrodischarge machining using water as a working fluid—I: micro-hole drilling

Micro electro-discharge machining using water as a working fluid 2 : narrow slit fabrication