A SINGLE DISCHARGE STUDY OF MICRO-EDM

INTRODUCTION Increase in demand for micro/meso-scale parts and features (10 μm to 1 mm) brings an interest to machining processes capable of producing such features, and micro-electro-discharge machining (micro-EDM) is one process. However, understanding the micro-EDM process has proven significantly more difficult than traditional EDM because micro-EDM often employs discharges that last less than 10 ns and frequencies above 10 MHz. The approach taken here is that breaking micro-EDM down to its most basic component, the unit or single discharge, is the best path for gaining knowledge and improving understanding of the material removal process. Our idea is material removal by micro-EDM is the cumulative result of a sequence of discharges and therefore, studying the material removal characteristics of a single discharge and its relation to discharge parameters in a controlled way offers a path to better understanding of micro-EDM.