An experimental study to investigate the effect of solid, single-channel and multichannel electrodes in micro-electrodischarge drilling process

Abstract

Micro-electrodischarge machining (micro-EDM) is one of the most sustainable processes used to machine 3D features on metallic surfaces. It is an effective method of machining extremely hard and difficult to cut materials. Material is removed from anode surface, primarily, by heat generated due to controlled sparking. Size and shape of electrodes play significant role in the stability of the micro-EDM process by governing the debris flushing out of inter-electrode gap. The present study addresses the effect of geometries on the performance of the micro-EDM process. Designed experiments have been conducted by using solid, single-channel and multichannel electrodes. Material removal rate (MRR) and tool wear rate (TWR) being the important indicators of micro-EDM process, effect of different process parameters on MRR and TWR have been evaluated for different set of experiments on solid rod, single-channel and multichannel electrodes. From the analysis, a solid electrode has been found to provide a better performance than the other two type of electrodes. Highest MRR and lowest TWR is observed for the solid electrode. A 16.63% of maximum increment was found in MRR with the use of solid electrode.