On machining Ti6Al4V ELI with EDM by using copper and graphite electrodes: a comparison study

Abstract

Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) is a non-conventional machining process, in which, the material removal occurs by repetitive sparks. By utilizing EDM, conductive materials can be machined in complex shapes and geometries, with high dimensional accuracy, regardless of their mechanical properties. Titanium alloys, due to their unique inherent properties, find extensive use in the modern industrial environment. Nevertheless, they are still classified as hard-to-cut materials, facing significant difficulties in their machining with conventional methods. The current paper presents a comparative study regarding the machining of Ti6Al4V ELI with EDM, by using copper and graphite electrodes. The control parameters were the pulse-on current and time, while the machining performance was estimated in terms of Material Removal Rate (MRR) and Tool Wear Ratio (TWR). Additionally, the surface roughness was evaluated according to the Ra. For the aforementioned indexes, Analysis Of Variance (ANOVA) was performed.