Development of EDT Equipment Using Wire Tool Electrode

Abstract

Whirling electrical discharge texturing (WEDT) was developed to process microstructures on the inner surface of cylindrical parts made of high hardness materials. However, the minimum processable diameter of the cylindrical parts was φ 5 mm and the equipment could not feed the new tool electrodes. Therefore, the authors devised a novel method of WEDT using a straight wire tool electrode for a cylindrical surfaces with a small diameter. It was confirmed that microstructures could be created on the inner surface of a cylinder of φ 1.1 mm diameter, and that the texture-area ratio could be controlled by the workpiece feed speed. Moreover, new EDT equipment with a feeding system for a wire tool electrode and a bending system for the tip of a wire tool electrode was developed. As a result, the equipment that can process microstructures on the inner surface of a cylinder with a small diameter and feed a wire tool electrode during texturing was successfully developed.