PowerPoint to accompany

Technology of Machine Tools

6th Edition

Krar Gill Smid

Electrical
Discharge
Machining
Unit 95

Copyright The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Permission required for reproduction or display.

95-2

Objectives
Define electrical discharge machining
and state its principle
Summarize the EDM process
Identify the advantages and the
limitations of electrical discharge
machining
Name the main operating systems of
wire-cut electrical discharge machines

95-3

Electrical Discharge Machining

Commonly known as EDM
Proved valuable in machining of super
touch new space-age alloys
Made it relatively simple to machine
intricate shapes
Used extensively in plastics industry to
produce cavities in steel molds

95-4

Controlled spark removes metal during

electrical discharge machining
Copyright The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Permission required for reproduction or display.

95-5

Servo

Tool

Rectifier

Work
220-V AC Current Control
Copyright The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Permission required for reproduction or display.

95-6

Principle of EDM
Controlled metal-removal technique where
electric spark used to cut (erode) workpiece
Takes shape opposite to that of cutting tool

Electrode (cutting tool) made from electrically

conductive material
Dielectric fluid surrounds both tool and work
Servo mechanism gives gap .005 to .001 in.
between work and tool
Direct current of low voltage and high
amperage

95-7

Types of EDM Circuits

Several types of electrical discharge power
supply used for EDM
Two most common types of power supplies:
Resistance-capacitance power supply
Widely used on first EDM machines
Capacitor charge through resistance from directcurrent voltage source

Pulse-type power supply

95-8

Resistance-Capacitance Circuits
Combination of low frequency, high
voltage, high capacitance, and high
amperage results:
Rather coarse surface finish
Large overcut around tool
Larger metal particles being removed and more
space to flush out particles

Advantages of resistance-capacitance power

Circuit simple and reliable
Works well at low amperages

95-9

Pulse-Type Power Supply

Similar to resistance-capacitance type
Vacuum tubes or solid-state devices used to
achieve extremely fast pulsing switch effect
More discharges
per second produces
finer surface finish

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Permission required for reproduction or display.

95-10

Main Advantages of
Pulse-Type Circuit
Versatile and can be accurately controlled
for roughing and finishing cuts
Better surface finish produced as less metal
removed per spark
Many sparks per unit of time

Less overcut around electrode (tool)

95-11

The Electrode
Formed to shape of cavity desired
Characteristics of good electrode materials:

Be good conductors of electricity and heat

Be easily machined to shape at reasonable cost
Produce efficient metal removal from work
Resist deformation during erosion process
Exhibit low electrode (tool) wear rates

95-12

Electrode
Common materials (not general-purpose)
Graphite, cooper, copper graphite, copper tungsten,
brass, and steel

Yellow brass used for pulse-type circuits

Good machinability, electrical conductivity

Copper used in resistance-capacitance circuits

with higher voltages
Graphite
Gaining acceptance, relatively inexpensive
Tool wear rate less and high metal-removal rate almost
double of other materials

95-13

EDM Process
Servo mechanism
Automatically maintains constant gap ~.0005 to .
001 in. between electrode and work
Advance tool into workpiece, senses and corrects
any shorted condition by rapidly retracting tool
(vertical movement)
Feed control applied to table for horizontal moves

EDM power supply

Provides direct current electrical energy for
electrical discharges between tool and work

95-14

Characteristics of
Pulse-Type Circuits
1. Low voltages

Normally about 70 V, drops to 20 V after

spark initiated

2. Low capacitance

About 50 mF or less

3. High frequencies

Usually 20,000 to 30,000 Hz

4. Low-energy spark levels

95-15

The Discharge Process

Dielectric fluid changes into gas when
sufficient electrical energy applied
Allows heavy discharge of current to flow
through ionized path and strike workpiece
Heat between electrode and work surface
causes small pool of molten metal to form
on work surface

95-16

Current stopped (microseconds), molten

metal particles solidify and washed away
Electrical discharges occur at rate of 20,000
to 30,000 Hz
Each discharge removes minute amount of
metal
Voltage constant so amount of metal removed
will be proportional to amount of charge
between electrode and work

Current maintained but frequency increased,

results in smaller craters and better surface

95-17

Main Functions of
Dielectric Fluid
1. Serves as insulator between tool and
workpiece until required voltage reached
2. Vaporizes (ionizes) to initiate spark
between electrode and workpiece
3. Confines spark path to narrow channel
4. Flushes away metal particles to prevent
shorting
5. Acts as coolant for both electrode and
workpiece

95-18

Types of Dielectrics
Must be able to ionize and deionize rapidly
and have low viscosity
Allow them to be pumped through narrow
machining gap

Most common have been various petroleum

products
Light lubricating oils, transformer oils, siliconbase oils and kerosene

Selection of dielectric important since it

affects metal-removal rate and electrode
wear

95-19

Methods of Circulating
Dielectrics
Must be circulated under constant pressure
Pressure used generally begins with 5 psi
and increased until optimum cutting
obtained
Four methods to circulate dielectric fluid
All must use fine filters in system to remove
metal particles so they are not recirculated

95-20

Down Through the Electrode

Hole drilled through electrode and dielectric
fluid forced through electrode
and between it and work
Rapidly flushes away
Pressure
metal particles

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Permission required for reproduction or display.

95-21

Up Through the Workpiece

Cause fluid to be circulated
up through workpiece
This type limited to
through-hole cutting
applications and
to cavities having Pressure
holes for core or
ejector pins
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Permission required for reproduction or display.

95-22

Vacuum Flow
Negative pressure (vacuum) created in gap,
which causes dielectric to flow
through normal .001 in. clearance
between electrode and workpiece
Improves machining
efficiency, reduces smoke
and fumes and helps to
reduce or eliminate taper
in work
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Permission required for reproduction or display.

Suction

95-23

Vibration
Pumping and sucking action used to cause
dielectric to disperse chips
from spark gap
Valuable for very
Vibration
small holes, deep holes,
or blind cavities

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Permission required for reproduction or display.

95-24

Metal-Removal Rates
Rate dependent on following factors:

Amount of current in each discharge

Frequency of discharge
Electrode material
Workpiece material
Dielectric flushing conditions

Normal metal-removal rate ~1 in3 work

material per hour for every 20 A of current

95-25

Electrode (Tool) Wear

During discharge process, tool subject to
wear or erosion
Difficult to hold close tolerances as tool
gradually loses its shape during machining
operation
Average wear ratio of workpiece to
electrode is 3:1 for metallic tools
Graphite electrodes wear ratio 10:1

95-26

Reverse-Polarity Machining
New development that promises to be major
breakthrough in reducing electrode wear
Molten metal from workpiece deposited on
graphite electrode about as fast as electrode
worn away
Operates best on low spark-discharge
frequencies and high amperage
Improves metal-removal rates and reduces
electrode wear

95-27

Overcut
Amount the cavity in the workpiece is cut
larger than the size of electrode used in
machining process
Distance between surface of work and
surface of electrode (overcut) is equal to
length of sparks discharged
Constant over all areas of electrode

Amount ranges from .0002 to .007 in. and

dependent on amount of gap voltage

95-28

Overcut

Amount varied to suit metal-removal rate

and surface finish required

Determines size of chip removal

Size of chip removed important factor in

setting amount of overcut because:
1. Chip in space between electrode and work
serve as conductors for electrical discharges
2. Large chips produced with higher amperages
require larger gap to enable them to be flushed
out effectively

95-29

Surface Finish
Low metal-removal rates, surface finishes of 2 to 4
in. possible
High metal-removal rates, finishes of
1000 in. produced
Fast metal removal (roughing cuts)
High amperage, low frequency, high capacitance and
minimum gap voltage required

Slow metal removal (finish cut)

Low amperage, high frequency, low capacitance and
highest gap voltage required

95-30

Advantages of EDM
Any material that is electrically conductive
can be cut, regardless of its hardness
Work can be machined in hardened state,
thereby overcoming deformation caused by
hardening process
Broken taps or drills can readily be removed
from workpieces

95-31

Does not create stresses in work material,

since tool never comes into contact with work
Process is burr-free
Thin, fragile sections easily machined without
deforming
Process is automatic servo mechanism
advances electrode into work as metal
removed
One person can operate several EDM
machines at one time

95-32

Intricate shapes, impossible to produce by

conventional means, are cut out of a solid
with relative ease
Better dies and molds can be produced at
lower cost
A die punch can be used as electrode to
reproduce its shape in matching die plate,
complete with necessary clearance

95-33

Limitations of EDM
Metal-removal rates are low
Material to be machined must be electrically
conductive
Cavities produced are slightly tapered but
can be controlled for most applications to as
little as .0001 in. in every .250 in.

95-34

Rapid electrode wear can be come costly in

some types of EDM equipment
Electrodes smaller than .003 in. in diameter
are impractical
Work surface is damaged to depth of
.0002 in. but is easily removed
Slight case hardening occurs
However, may be classed as advantage in some
instances

95-35

Wire-Cut EDM Machine

Uses thin brass or copper wire as electrode
Makes possible cutting most shapes and
contours from flat plate materials
Complex shapes: tapers, involutes, parabolas,
and ellipses

Process commonly used for:

Machining tungsten carbide, polycrystalline
diamond, polycrystalline cubic boron nitride,
pure molybdenum, difficult-to-machine material

95-36

The Process
Uses CNC to move workpiece along X and Y
axes in horizontal plane toward vertically
moving wire electrode
Electrode does not contact workpiece but
operates in stream of dielectric fluid
Directed to spark area between work and electrode
When in operation, dielectric fluid in spark area
breaks down, forming gas that permits spark to
jump between workpiece and electrode
Eroded material caused by spark washed away

95-37

Operating Systems
Four main operating systems of wire-cut
electrical discharge machines
Servo mechanism
Dielectric fluid
Electrode
Machine control unit

95-38

Servo Mechanism
Controls cutting current levels, feed rate of
drive motors, and traveling speed of wire
Automatically maintains constant gap of .
001 to .002 in. between wire and workpiece
Important there be no physical contact

Advances workpiece into wire, senses

work-wire spacing, and slows or speeds up
drive motors to maintain proper arc gap

95-39

Dielectric Fluid

Usually deionized water

Serves several functions:
1. Helps initiate spark between wire and work
2. Serves as insulator between wire and work
3. Flushes away particles of disintegrated wire
and work from gap to prevent shorting
4. Acts as coolant for both wire and workpiece

95-40

Electrode
Spool of brass, copper, tungsten,
molybdenum, or zinc wire ranging from .
002 to .012 in. in diameter (2 to 100 lb)
Continuously travels from supply spool to
takeup spool so new wire always in spark area

Both electrode wear and material-removal

rate from workpiece depend on:
Material's electrical and thermal conductivity,
its melting point and duration and intensity of
electrical pulses

95-41

Characteristics of
Electrode Materials
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Be good conductor of electricity

Have high melting point
Have high tensile strength
Have good thermal conductivity
Produce efficient metal removal from
workpiece

95-42

Machine Control Unit

Separated into three individual operator
panels
Control panel for setting cutting conditions
(servo mechanism)
Control panel for machine setup and data
required to produce part (numerical control)
Control panel for manual data input (MDI) and
cathode ray tube display