Experimental investigation on simultaneous machining of EDM and ECM with different electrode materials

Abstract

In order to improve the machining efficiency and the surface quality of EDM/ECM, adding a small amount of sodium nitrate into deionized water as the working medium, a novel simultaneous machining approach of EDM and ECM (SEDCM) was developed. In this work, a comparative study was conducted on the SEDCM performance of TC4 alloy using different electrode materials viz. brass, copper and copper-tungsten alloy. In addition, the effects of process parameters, such as peak current, pulse on time and gap voltage on material removal rate (MRR), tool wear rate (TWR), surface roughness (Ra), and surface micromorphology were investigated. The results show that brass electrode provides the smallest MRR, the highest TWR and the worst surface quality. The copper electrode has the smallest average diameter of a single discharge craters and the best surface finish. The MRR and TWR of copper-tungsten electrode are similar to those of copper electrode. As peak current increases, TWR increases and Ra deteriorates for all the electrodes, as well MRR increases and then decreases for copper and copper-tungsten electrodes. Increase in pulse on time and gap voltage, MRR and TWR increases and then decreases gradually. At higher pulse on time and gap voltage, Ra becomes greater for three type electrodes.

Investigation of enhancing EDM machining performance of INCONEL alloy using composite electrodes

“…As discussed earlier, 4 μs was the optimal Toff, as all the electrode used for the investigation proffers maximum MRR. In case of Ton, MRR increases linearly when Cu was used as the electrode, it declines after 8 μs in case of A1 composite tool [31]. The optimal current for copper tool was 9 A and in case of composite tool it increased to 12 A, as the MRR of 49.97 mm 3 min −1 and 46.37 mm 3 min −1 was recorded for the above mentioned parametric setting respectively [32].…”

Research of micro-holes electrical discharge and electrochemical hybrid machining technology

“…This is because the ion dissolution mainly occurs at the surface after EDM, which increases the entrance diameter. Meng et al [15] used SEDCM to study the effect of peak current and pulse duration on the machined surface and concluded the same.…”

Editors' Choice—Improving Quality of EDMed Micro-Holes on Titanium via In Situ Electrochemical Post-processing: A Transient Simulation and Experimental Study

“…As a result, thermal damage and crater marks may remain on the machined surface. Recently, Meng et al (2022) 23 and Ahmed et al ( 2022) 24 investigated simultaneous machining with low-concentration electrolyte solutions. However, these studies did not provide specific insights into overcutting, leaving a notable gap in the research.…”

“…It is important to note that the application of higher voltages in conjunction with electrolyte solutions to enhance polishing may lead to potential overcutting, especially given the reported Ra values within the range of 3 to 5 μm. 23 The above-cited literature highlights that the simultaneous approach entails the application of rather high voltage to generate electrical discharges, leading to overcutting and large hole sizes or low-conductivity solutions that reduce overcutting but compromise material removal and polishing. To address this, the sequential execution of EDM and ECM processes on a single machining facility proves to be a more viable option.…”