Abstract
When machining a small hole with high aspect ratio in EDM, it is hard for the flushing liquid entering the bottom gap and the debris could hardly be removed, which results in the accumulation of debris and affects the machining efficiency and machining accuracy. The assisted ultrasonic vibration can improve the removal of debris in the gap. Based on dynamics simulation software, Fluent, a three-dimensional (3D) model of debris movement in the gap flow field of EDM small hole machining assisted with side flushing and ultrasonic vibration is established in this paper. The laws of different amplitudes and frequencies and different aspect ratios on debris distribution and movement are quantitatively analyzed. The motion height of debris was observed under different conditions. The research results show that periodic ultrasonic vibration can promote the movement of debris, which is beneficial to the removal of debris in the machining gap. When compared to traditional small hole machining in EDM, the debris in the machining gap were greatly reduced, which ensures the stability of the machining process and improves the machining efficiency.
Highlights
Electrical discharge machining (EDM) as a non-traditional machining method uses the electro-thermal effect of pulse discharge between two electrodes to remove materials in dielectric fluid
When the vibration amplitude considerably increases, it is beneficial to the debris removal from the machining gap as well as the improvement of machining efficiency of small hole machining in ultrasonic-assisted EDM
This paper applies the Fluent software to simulate the process of the distribution and movement of debris in small hole machining with ultrasonic assisted EDM
Summary
Electrical discharge machining (EDM) as a non-traditional machining method uses the electro-thermal effect of pulse discharge between two electrodes to remove materials in dielectric fluid. Wang et al made researches on the debris and bubble movement with Fluent, proposed a three-dimensional model of flow field with liquid, gas, and solid phases for a machining gap in EDM. Pattabhiraman et al developed a computational model to investigate the flushing of EDM debris from the interelectrode gap during the spray-EDM process They pointed that the dielectric film thickness and velocity play a significant role in removing the debris from the machining region [11]. Due to the debris movement in high aspect ratio hole EDM machining with ultrasonic vibration and side flushing is not yet fully understood. This paper develops a model to simulate the distribution and removal of debris in different machining conditions in ultrasonic assisted EDM with side flushing in fluid dynamical simulation software Fluent, and analyzes the influence of various parameters during the operation.
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