Recent Research Trends in Tool Electrode of Electrical Discharge Machining: A Review

Abstract

-Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) is a thermo-electrical based non-contact material removal process for machining of the electrically conductive difficult-to-machine materials. The machinability of the EDM process is not affected by mechanical and physical properties of the workpiece materials. Even though, its performances are highly affected by the tool materials and their designs. Most of the research papers refer to enhance the productivity of the EDM process without considering the effect of the parameters related to the tool electrodes. Generally, the tool wear is the well known phenomenon of the EDM process that affects the plasma formation as well as surface quality and productivity. The aim of the present study is to summarize a report on the published works related to the tool electrodes materials, designs and their effect on the performances of the EDM process. Instead of this, the present paper also focuses to future research scope in the same field and discussed in the brief.