For manufacturing of micro holes ElectricalDischarge Machining (EDM) can be used, which is well-established due toits thermal working principle that allows almost force free machining independent of the material’s mechanical properties. The importance of this production technology is increasing, especially for the machining of ceramic materials, which are required in many applications within the field of microtechnology. However, the production of precise micro holes with complex geometries and high aspect ratios is associated with a many challenges. Hightool electrode wear, low material removal rate and small gap widths are observed in the process. This paper presents an optimized dry EDM technology for the manufacturing of micro holes in Si3N4-TiNceramic. The experiments were carried out with different energy influencing process parameters for the spark discharge and flushing pressure, which were systematically evaluated by methods of statistical Design of Experiments. Subsequently dry EDM and conventional EDM micro drilling processes were compared and the differences between both processes were evaluated. The influences of liquid and gaseous dielectric are analyzed in terms of process stability and axis movements.
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