Estudio teórico y experimental de las propiedades dimensionales de la pieza final y vida de la herramienta en procesos de mecanizado por electroerosión. Análisis de su aplicación en la construcción naval

Abstract

Electro Discharge Machining (EDM) is one of the most widespread unconventional machining technologies thanks to its ability to manufacture parts of high geometric complexity and made of high hardness materials. Its applicability is continuously growing in various industrial sectors such as aerospace, automotive, machinery manufacturing, etc. However, it is still beginning to be introduced in other sectors where the use of more innovative production technologies is often slower, such as the shipbuilding industry, both in the field of new construction and in ship and boat component repair.The EDM processes began to be used in the 1940s with the first scientific research on these technologies, and since then the scientific community has carried out numerous studies for trying to determine the phenomena that occur in these processes and the parameters that allow the optimization of these machining processes for different geometries, raw materials and application fields. The most recent works were focused on the analysis of new configurations for these processes, the effect of process parameters and raw material, and the theoretical modeling of the process.The objective of this doctoral thesis is knowing in greater detail the influence of some of the main process parameters on the surface finish of machined parts and the tool wear originated during the cutting process, and also trying to identify the applicability of these technologies in the naval sector, for which the theoretical and experimental study of these processes has been carried out considering different cutting conditions.Within the first chapter of this doctoral thesis, an analysis on the applicability of EDM in the naval industry will be carried out. It is proven that these technologies are of interest for the fields of new construction and ship repair, and can serve to improve the competitiveness of shipyards in the current highly globalized market with enormous competition worldwide.Estudio teórico y experimental de las propiedades dimensionales de la pieza final y vida de la herramienta en procesos de EDM. Análisis de su aplicación en la construcción naval. VIThe experimental study will include the analysis of imperfections originated on the part surface, considering different indicators for identifying the surface finish of machined part. The effect of different process parameters such as current intensity and penetration depth will be evaluated, and the equations that serve to select the appropriate values of cutting parameters according to the desired surface quality will be deduced.Experimental analysis will also be used to study the loss of material on the electrode surface and to characterize the worn shape of the tool surface. The cutting conditions that allow optimizing the tool life will be evaluated, and the equations that describe the relationship among the irregularities of electrode surface and the process parameters that have been considered will be obtained.On the other hand, the theoretical study of the EDM process will be carried out,...