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Advantages and Limitations of

Electrical-Discharge Machining
(EDM)
Advantages…
• The Machining of Complex Geometric Forms
Complex, contoured shapes can be produced
in one piece rather than several, in the exact
configuration that is required.
• Precise Machining of Pre-hardened Materials
Because hardened materials can be EDM eroded,
the need for the heat treatment of machined parts
is eliminated, avoiding potential distortion.

• Machining to Tight Tolerances, Avoiding


Distortion and Stress
Very low machining forces allow tight tolerances of
up to 2 microns to be achieved. With little or no
stress imparted into the work only light clamping is
necessary. Thin and fragile/brittle components can
be machined without distortion;
• The Accurate and Economic Machining of
Exotic Materials
Exotic materials including A-286 Superalloys,
medical grade stainless, titanium, Hastelloy,
tungsten carbide, molybdenum, aluminium
alloys and copper can all be machined. Better
utilisation of valuable materials is provided
through chipless machining.
Hastelloy
• The Rapid, Economic Production of Prototypes
and Low Run Parts
The ability to accurately machine complex
designs, can eliminate or reduce fixture and
tooling costs for one of a kind or low run
production parts.
• Absolute Consistency Between Machined Parts.
Because with EDM there is no contact between
the electrode and the surface, there is no burr
and absolute consistency can be achieved on
every machined part.
Limitations
• Process can only be employed in electrically
conductive materials such as…
- Copper
- Aluminium
- Tungsten
- Molybednum
What if I wish to machining a non-electrical
conductive material such as ceramic plate?
• Material removal rate is low and the process
overall is slow compared to conventional
machining processes.
- Rough surface finish when at high rates of
material removal.
• High power supply is required for EDM
machine.
- 200V DC and max current at 268A for a single
pulse to create spark.
• The additional time and cost used for creating
electrodes for ram/sinker EDM.
-Electrodes used are made from graphite.
• Reproducing difficult sharp corners on the work piece
due to electrode wear.
- The inconsistent wear in electrode will lead to
unexpected spark to erode the surface of machined
parts to left with a sharp corner.
• Unwanted erosion and over cutting of material can
occur
- The leftover of electrode will cause of unwanted
erosion.
Advantages and Limitations of
Wire-Electrical-Discharge Machining (Wire-EDM)
Advantages…
• Efficient Production Capabilities
 Because of the precision and high-speed of
wire EDM machines, manufacturers are
increasingly discovering that many parts cam
be more economically produced with wire
EDM, rather than with conventional
machining.
• Reliable Repeatability
Because the programs are computer
generated and the electrode is constantly
being fed from a spool (the wire electrode is
used only once), the last part is identical to
the first part. The cutter wear found in
conventional machining does not exist.

Video microscope 325X to make sure there


last part was identical to the first part.
• . Stress-Free and Burr-Free Cutting
     Wire EDM is a non-contact, force-free,
metal-removing process which eliminated
cutting stress and resultant mechanical
distortion.
     Materials cut with wire EDM are totally
burr-free, and the edges are perfectly straight.
• Exotic Materials
     Wire EDM can cut carbide, inconel, tool
steels, ferro-tic, hastalloy, stellite, titanium--
any electrically conductive material hard or
soft. In fact, the EDM manufactures use
hardened D2 to rate the cutting speed of their
machines. Hardened D2 cuts faster than cold
roll steel.
• Tight Tolerances and Excellent Finishes
     The wire path is controlled by a CNC computer-
generated program with part accuracies up to +/- .
0001” (.0025mm). Dowel holes can be produced with
wire EDM to be either press or slip fit. The CNC
machine can independently move four machines
axes to generate taper cuts.
     The extremely fine finish from the standard wire
EDM process often eliminates the need for grinding
or other finishing procedures.
• Precise control of surface finish
Wire-EDM is controlled by CNC and it is
monitoring by the operator to make sure the
precise of surface finish control.
• No cutting forces
Since there is no contact between wire and
the product, so that is no cutting forces exist
in this process.
• Virtually no geometric
limitations
Limitations
• Only electrically conductive metals can be molded
or machined with wire EDM. It enables mold makers
to create many more convoluted items from metal,
which previously were unable of being worked upon.
• The surface quality and MRR of the machined
surface by wire EDM will depend on different
machining parameters such as applied peak current,
and wire materials.
• Others same as EDM.
• The control system of the electrode may fail
to react quiclky enough to prevent the tool
and workpiece to get into contact.
When tool and workpiece get into contact,
there will cause a consequent short circuit and
will cause a consequent unwanted damage of
the tool-electrode and workpiece.
So the flushing action must come with
adequate volume so that the dieletric fluid
can restored their insulating properties which
protect the tool and also the workpiece.
Alternative
• Ultrasonic Vibration Electrical-Discharge Machining
(UEDM) in gas.
Benefits:
i) MRR is increased
ii) Prevent contact of tool and workpiece
iii) Decreases the temperatures of the discharge spot on
the tool electrode and the workpiece due to heat
transfer.
iv) Ensuring the recovery of the dielectric strength of the
gap.
Working Principle of EUDM in gas
- The workpiece is vibrating with ultarsonic
frequency, which cause the molten workpiece
material to be ejected from the base body of the
workpiece.
- The electrode form into a thin wall pipe, high
pressure gas is being supplied through an
internal hole and flowing over the machining gap
with a high velocity. The gas enchanced the
removal of the molten and wvaporated
workpiece material.
- The gas at high velocity also cools and
solidifies the removal material and prevents it
adhering on the surface of the tool electrode.

- During the pulse interval, the high velocity gas


blows off the plasma formed by the previous
discharge and decreases the temperatures of
the discharge spots.

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