Electric discharge machining

(EDM)
2
3
4
5
6
7
Electric discharge machining (EDM)
• Started in USSR, 1943
• Controlled erosion
• Series of electric sparks
• Discharge takes place between anode and cathode
– Intense heat generated
– In sparking zone
• Melts material
• Evaporates material
• To improve effectiveness
– Submerged in dielectric fluid
• Hydrocarbon
• Mineral oils etc
• Anode erodes faster
– Work , positive terminal

8
 Cont……….
• Suitable gap, spark gap
• High frequency
• Spark appear at the spot where work and tool are the closest (as
shown in the figure)
• Sparks travel all over the surface
– Results uniform material removal
– Work conforms to the tool
• Servo-control unit to control a uniform gap
– Sense the voltage across it
– Compares with preset value
– Difference is used to control the servomotor
• Or stepper motor
• Solenoid control

9
 Mechanics of EDM

Tool (-)

A B C D E

Work (+)

10
 Cont……….
• Spark frequency: 200 to 500,000 Hz
• Spark gap: 0.025 mm to 0.05 mm
• Peak voltage across the gap: 30 V to 250 V
• Metal removal rate: 300 mm3/min with specific
power of 10 W/mm3/min
• Efficiency and accuracy: improved with forced
circulation of dielectric
• Common dielectric: kerosene
• General tool material: brass or copper alloy
11
 Cont……….
• Asperities and irregularities are always present on the surfaces
• Local gap varies
• Say, minimum at C
• Suitable voltage builds up
• Emission of electron from cathode at C
• Electron accelerated towards anode
• Collides molecules of dielectric at high velocity
• Breaks them into electrons and positive ions
• These electrons collides with other
• Avalanche of electrons
• Seen as spark

12
 Cont............
• A very high temperature rise 10,000 – 12,000 oC
– Evaporation
– Melting
– Development of Small crater
– Increase in gap
– Next location with the shortest gap
– Cycle is repeated
• Material removal rate
– More at anode
– Less at cathode
13
 Reasons for mrr at anode
• Momentum of electrons striking anode >
momentum of heavier +ve ions striking
cathode
• Pyrolysis (breaking at high temperature) of
dielectric fluid (normally hydrocarbons)
creates a thin film on cathode
• A compressive force is developed on cathode
surface

14
Material removal due to a single discharge

• Assumptions:
– Spark is circular heat source, diameter = 2a
– Electrode surface is semi-infinite
– The electrode surface is insulated except the
portion of the heat source
– Rate of heat input is constant through out the
duration
– Properties of electrode material remains constant
– Vaporization of electrodes is negligible

15
 a

r
of heat input, q

z
z
td
Time, t

(a) Constant rate (b) Uniform heat flux

of heat input (c) Circular heat source

16
 Cont............
H = heat input (calories)
θ = temperature (oC)
T = Time (seconds)
K = thermal conductivity (cal/cm-sec-oC)
α = thermal diffusivity (cm2/sec)
td = discharge duration (seconds)
θm = melting temperature (oC)
There is a circular symmetry:
17
Equation of heat conduction
 2 2 
   1   
  2   2
t  t r r z 
when, t  0, r, z, t   0,

when, t  0, r  a ,  0,
z
 H
at,0  r  a , k  2
z a t d
Temperature is maximum at the centre i.e. r = 0

18
 At the end of the spark, the temperature at a point on the axis
Assuming maximum temperature is at t = td


  z   d

1 H
0, z, t d   J 0  J1  e z erfc   t d 
2 kt d 0   2 t d  

Where ξ is a dummy variable. If at depth Z melting temperature

is reached then the equation is:

2H t d  Z Z2   2 
m  2 ierfc  ierfc 
k t d  2 t d 2 t d 
where
1  2
ierfc   e  erfc 

erfc   1  erf  



2 x 2
erf    e dx
 0
19
To take care of the heat of molten material, the actual heat input rate can be
found out by the heat used to melt from the heat supplied by the spark.
H total  H m a 2 Z
Heat _ input  (cal / cm 2  sec)
a 2 t d
Where
Htotal = total heat released (cal)
Hm = latent heat (cal/g)
ρ = density of material (c/cm2)
2a  KW n 1 t dn 2 cm
Where
W = total pulse energy (in joules)
n1,n2, K = constants characterising electrodes and dielectric
vc = crater volume if hc = crater depth (cm)

20
Estimation of material removal rate (mrr)
• Under normal working conditions
And assuming average sparking condition.

h c  Z  K1W1 / 3 cm
2a  K 2 w1 / 3 cm

v c  h c 3a 2  h c2 cm3
6
 mrr(mm3 / amp  min)  4 x104  m1.23 mm3 / amp  min 

Where
θm = mp (oC)
K1 ~ 0.4 for copper electrode
K2 ~ 0.045 for kerosene used as dielectric
21
22
Fig. 6. Effect of pulse on time and SiC percentage on the GS at peak current of 10 Amp. and gap voltage of 30 V.

Sameh S. Habib

Study of the parameters in electrical discharge machining through response surface methodology approach

Applied Mathematical Modelling, Volume 33, Issue 12, 2009, 4397–4407

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apm.2009.03.021

23
24
 H = 0.5 J
2a = 0.08 cm

Z (cm)
008 0.016 0.024 0.032

10-8 10-7 10-6 10-5 10-4 10-3 10-2

Discharge time td (sec)

(a) Variation of melting temperature depth Z with discharge time

25
 H = 0.5 J
2a = 0.08 cm

vc(cm3) x103
0-5 10-4 10-3 10-2 10-1 1

10-8 10-7 10-6 10-5 10-4 10-3 10-2

Discharge time td (sec)

(b) Variation of crater volume with discharge time

26
 Effect of fluid circulation
• Material removal rate
– Strongly depend upon circulation of dielectric fluid
– Without circulation wear particles
• Melt
• Reunite with electrode

27
 With
force

Material removal rate

d die
lectri
c circ
ulatio
n
Wi
tho
ut
for
ced
die
lec
tric
circ
ula
tio
n

Advance of electrode

Figure. Effect of forced circulation of dielectric fluid

28
 After the completion of discharge
• Dielectric medium
– Should be deionized
• By keeping the voltage across the gap below
– Discharge voltage

• Otherwise
– The current again starts flowing
• The de-ionisation time depends up on
– Energy release during the preceding discharge

29
 Tool wear
• Eroded during spark
• Principle tool material
– Graphite
• Vaporises directly

• Wear ratio (rmrr)

• Ratio of
– Material removed from the work to
– Material removed from the tool
– Related to
• Ratio (rθ)
– Melting point of work to
– Melting point of tool

 rmrr  2.25r 2.3

30
 Tool material
• Depends up on
– Material removal rate
– Wear ratio
– Ease of shaping the tool
– Cost
• Common electrode material
– Brass
– Copper graphite
– Aluminium alloy
– Copper-tungsten alloy
– Silver-tungsten alloy

31
 Fabrication of tool
• Conventional machining
– Copper
– Brass
– Cu-W alloys
– Ag-W alloys
– Graphite
• Casting
– Zn base die casting alloys
– Zn-Sn alloys
– Aluminium alloys
• Metal spray
• Press forming
• Flow holes are provided for dielectric circulation
– Large for rough cuts to allow large flow at low pressure

32
 Dielectric fluids
• Basic requirements
– Low viscosity
– Absence of toxic vapours
– Chemical neutrality
– Absence of inflaming tendency
– Low cost

33
 Cont.................
• Ordinary water
– Possesses all properties
– Causes rusting
• Work
• machine
– Electrodes are constantly under some potential difference
• Starts distorting the work
• Wastage of power
• Hydrocarbon (petroleum) oil
• Kerosene
• Liquid paraffin
• Silicon oils
• etc

34
 Surface integrity
• High temperature
– Melting
– Vaporization
– Shallow layers
• 2.5 – 150 μm
– Outmost layer rapidly chilled
• Very hard
• Below it is somewhat tempered
– Better wear resistance
– In finishing operation
• Less hard

35
 Cont...........
– Reduces fatigue resistance
• Due to micro-cracks
– Due to chilling
– Tensile strength is less affected
– Chemical structure may get transformed
– Reduces erosion resistance

36
 Operating principles
• Require
– Pulsating dc current
• Classification of dc supply
– Resistance-capacitance relaxation circuit with a
constant dc source
– Rotary impulse generator
– Controlled pulse circuit

37
 Resistance-capacitance relaxation circuit

• Used with the first EDM machine

• Figure shows a simple RC circuit

R
Tool

Vo C

Work

Figure. Relaxation circuit

38
 Vo

Vd
Instantaneous voltage across
gap

0 tc 2tc 3tc 4tc

Time, t

Figure. Variation of gap voltage

39
 Cont...........
Voltage, V across the gap varies according to time, t as :
t
  

V  V0 1  e RC 
 
 

Time, t starts at the instant V0 is applied

C is the variable capacitance
R is the variable resistance
Hence, V approaches V0 asymptotically, if allowed to do so.
Spark take place when V = Vd, commonly called discharge voltage
Capacitor is completely discharged
Discharge time is ≈ 10% of charging time, tc

40
Sparking frequency, ϑ
t 1
 
t c RC log V0
e
V0  Vd 
1
E  CVd2
2
E
Wav 
tc  ts
t
  c 
Since, Vd  V0 1  e RC 
 
E 2
Wav 
tc  ts

41
 Average power, Wav
Let, E = energy released/ spark
And tc = 1/ ϑ, then

1
E  CVd2
2
E
Wav 
tc  ts
t
  c 
Since, Vd  V0 1  e RC 
 
t 2
1 C 2  c 
Wav  V 1  e RC

2 t c 0  
2
1 V0 1
Wav 
2 R 

1  e  
2

Where ζ = tc/RC

42
For maximum power delivery
Wav
0
    opt

2 opt  1e  opt  1

Which yields:
ζopt = 1.26
If ζ ( = tc/RC) is known
Optimum value of
(Vd/V0)opt can be fixed
 Vd   opt
   1  e  1  e 1.26  0.72
 V0  opt

For maximum power, Vd = 72% of V0

43
 Material removal / spark
Assuming
Material removal per spark is proportional to energy released/spark

    1 Vd2 C 
V
2 
    1 Vd2 C 
V
1
2  RC log V0
e
V0  Vd 
  Vd2
V
V0
2R loge
V0  Vd 

Thus MRR is inversely proportional to resistance, R

44
 Critical value of R
• Cannot be decreased below a critical value
• Otherwise, arcing will occur
• R depends upon
– Inductance, L of the circuit
– Rmin = √(L/C)
– Discharge circuit is seldom purely inductive
– R < 30 √(L/C)
• Hence, MRR (mm3/min)
  27.4 W1.54
V
45
 Problem
• During an electric discharge drilling of a 10-mm
square hole in a low carbon steel plate of 5 mm
thickness, brass tool and kerosene are used. The
resistance and the capacitance in the relaxation
circuit are 50 Ω and 10 μF respectively. The
supply voltage is 200 volts and the gap is
maintained at such a value that the discharge
(sparking) takes place at 150 volts. Estimate the
time required to complete the drilling operation.
• Answer: 306 min
46
 Rotary impulse generator
• Increase metal removal rate with respect to R-C
relaxation circuit
• Used for spark generation
• Capacitor is charged through diode
• Sum of voltage generated + voltage of the charged
capacitor is applied
• Operating frequency is the frequency of the sine
wave – depends upon motor speed
• Surface finish is deteriorated
47
Figure. Rotary impulse generator for EDM

48
 Controlled pulse circuit
• Automatic prevention of current flow when short
circuit is developed
– No provision of prevention in
• R-C relaxation circuit
• Rotary impulse generator
• A transmitter is used as switching device
• Current during sparking comes through capacitor
• Transmitter cut off and behaves as infinite
resistance
49
Figure. Controlled pulse circuit for EDM

50
Figure. Controlled pulse circuit with capacitor for EDM

51
Thanks

52