Effect of Machining on Workpiece Surface Characteristics in Electric Discharge Drilling (EDD)

Abstract

In electric discharge drilling (EDD), rapid local heating and cooling of the workpiece surface by means of electric discharges results in surface layers (recast, heat affected and base material). In this study, the main workpiece surface texture measures, namely the recast layer thickness (RLT) and average surface roughness (Ra) characteristics were investigated for varying machining parameters (discharge current and pulse on time). The conducted experiments revealed the strong dependence of surface characteristics on machining parameters.