Abstract
This chapter presents a new tooling strategy based on the application of water jet (WJ) machining, which allows relatively quick and cost effective production of prototype microcomponents. WJ machining–a non-conventional machining process–uses a high-speed jet of water as the tool to remove the workpiece material by erosion. In order to generate such a tool, the water is first pressurized. The water pressure is usually set up to 400 MPa and is generated with a hydraulic intensifiers specially designed for this technology. To generate an effective WJ, a specially designed nozzle with an orifice made in a sapphire insert is used. The chapter describes micro electrical discharge machining (MEDM) as well as the manufacturing of the tool by the MEDM process using the electrode made by WJ. The MEDM machining is usually performed with rod electrode, whose path is controlled by CNC controller. The commercially available rod electrodes have diameters down to 0.05 mm, but usually bigger electrode diameters, for instance 0.15 mm, are often used due to limitations in electrode handling systems. Smaller electrode diameters are obtained by applying wire electrical discharge machining (EDM) grinding or etching after clamping of the electrode on the MEDM machine.
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