Abstract
In the present study, cylindrical ABS P400 polymer parts (diameter 6.5 mm) to be used as die-sinking EDM (electric discharge machining) novel electrodes were fabricated using a fused deposition modeling (FDM) process. To meet the conductivity requirement in EDM, ABS parts were metallized using an innovative method that comprised putting aluminum–charcoal (Al–C) on them followed by their copper electroplating. Real-time EDM of the mild steel workpiece was performed using novel electrodes, and machining performance of the electrodes, measured in terms of dimensional accuracy, i.e., change in diameter (ΔD) and change in depth (ΔH) of the cavity, under varying levels of three EDM factors, i.e., current (I), pulse on time (Ton), and pulse off time (Toff), was investigated. Machining results were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), perturbation graphs, and 3D surface plots. The optimal setting of the EDM parameters for minimizing ΔD and ΔH was determined using the desirability function approach. The suitability of the novel electrodes for EDM was ascertained by comparing their machining results with those of solid copper (SC) electrodes and electrodes fabricated by FDM and metallized using the electro-deposition method (FDM-EM), already reported in the literature, under similar machining conditions. From the results, it was found that ΔD and ΔH were less when EDM was performed using novel electrodes.
Highlights
Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is a precision machining process in which repetitive controlled sparks are used to remove material from the conductive workpiece materials [1]
The use of polymer in modern machining is rarely explored. To fill this gap to some extent, the authors of this paper have explored suitability of ABS P400 polymer for production of EDM electrodes
To validate the machining results, the Dimensional accuracy (DA) of the machined cavity achieved using the novel electrodes is compared with that of solid copper (SC) electrodes and electrodes fabricated by fused deposition modeling (FDM) and metallized using electro-deposition method (FDM-EM) already reported in literature under similar machining conditions
Summary
Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is a precision machining process in which repetitive controlled sparks are used to remove material from the conductive workpiece materials [1]. Sparks are produced between the tool (electrode) and the workpiece, which is completely submerged under an insulated working medium referred to as dielectrics [2,3,4]. The dielectric strength breaks down at a particular voltage, and a plasma channel is established between the electrode and the workpiece, which helps in the formation of concentrated sparks. Application areas of EDM include electronic industries, semi-conductor manufacturing industries, and mold and die industries [8,9]. In the mold and die industries, 25–40% of the total cost is incurred in the EDM of the workpiece, and 50% of EDM cost is spent in the design and production of the electrode, respectively [10].
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