IIT GANDHINAGAR

EDM
Expt No-1 Manufacturing Process Lab-2011
Mohak Patel 9003045 8/12/2011

Background
Electrical Discharge Machine (EDM) is a non-conventional machining process, where the material is removed from the work piece by series of controlled electrical discharge (sparks). In traditional machining processes the tool is harder than the workpiece but in EDM the workpiece is harder than the tool. Utilising this fact EDM is basically used for machining hard materials and the other essential required condition is that the workpiece should be conductive. The materials machined with EDM are hardened and heat-treated steels, carbide, polycrystalline diamond, titanium, hot and cold rolled steels, copper, brass, high temperature alloys, etc. EDM is mainly used for: 1. The single largest use of EDM is in die-making. 2. Prototype Making: It is a common method to use EDM to produce prototype or producing parts for automobile, aerospace and electrical industries which require highly accurate and low production quantities. 3. Small hole drilling: EDM is used to drill extremely small holes in turbine blades of Jet Engine to allow air to flow through this holes, which enables to achieve high temperatures which otherwise would not have been possible. 4. Coinage die making: Die used in stamping process for producing jewellery and badges are produced by EDM. Advantages of EDM in machining: 1. Very hard materials with great accuracy. 2. Extremely fine holes can be drilled easily. 3. Complex shapes can be produced easily which cant be otherwise difficult using conventional methods. 4. Good surface finish is obtained. 5. Since there is no contact between tool and workpiece. Delicate workpiece can be machined. Disadvantages: 1. Power consumption is very high. Cant be used in mass production. 2. The rate of material is very slow. 3. Sharp edges are difficult to produce due to electrode wear. 4. Can be used to machine only conductive materials. In EDM, the tool and the work material (both conductor of electricity) are immersed in a dielectric medium & a potential difference is applied between the tool and workpiece. A gap is maintained between the tool and the workpiece. When a suitable voltage is built up across the gap, an electrostatic field of sufficient strength is established causing cold emission of electron from cathode (tool). The cold emitted electrons are then accelerated towards the anode (job) through the dielectric medium. As they gain velocity and energy, and start moving towards the job, the electrons collide with dielectric molecules, breaking them into positive ions & electrons. Thus, as the electrons get accelerated, more positive ions and electrons would get generated due to collisions. Ultimately a narrow column of electrons will flow from the tool to the job, and ions from the job to the tool. Such movement of electrons and ions can be visually seen as a spark. The high speed electrons then

impinge on the job and ions on the tool. The kinetic energy of the electrons and ions on impact with the surface of the job and tool respectively would be converted into thermal energy or heat flux. Such intense localised heat flux leads to extreme temperature rise which would be in excess of 10,000C. Such high temperature leads to material removal due to instant vaporisation of the material as well as due to melting. The molten metal is not removed completely but only partially. As the potential difference is withdrawn, plasma channel collapse, & it generates pressure or shock waves. These compression shock waves evacuate the molten material forming a crater of removed material around the site of the spark. Similarly, the positive ions impinge on the tool leading to tool wear. For uniform distribution of material removal sparking is used. To apply voltage pulses between tool & the job, for sparking generator is used in EDM. For maintaining a predetermined spark gap, a servo control unit is generally used.

Figure 1 Schematic representation of basic working principle of EDM process

In EDM, material removal mainly occurs due to thermal evaporation and melting. As thermal processing is required to be carried out in absence of oxygen so that the process can be controlled and oxidation avoided. Hence, dielectric fluid should provide an oxygen free machining environment. Moreover, rapidly quench the spark gap after discharge. Generally kerosene and deionised water is used as dielectric fluid in EDM. It is also a must that the carbon particle produced during erosion should be cleared from the sparking zone with Dielectric. For that dielectric medium is generally flushed around the spark zone. The dielectric should be filtered before reuse. We used Paraffin in our experiment. The Electrode material should be such that it would not undergo much tool wear when it is impinged by positive ions. When temperature increases, there would be less melting. The basic characteristics of electrode materials required are high electrical conductivity, high thermal conductivity, higher density, high melting point, easy manufacturability, cheap. The followings are the different electrode materials which are used commonly in the industry: Graphite Copper Tungsten copper (Aconite) Brass The material removal rate (MRR) is ratio of the material removed in single spark to cycle time

Where the numerator is the volume of material removed.

Aim
Understand the principle, capabilities of EDM. Understand material removal mechanism in EDM. Identify different subsystems of EDM system. Identify the process parameters & purpose of dielectric fluid in EDM. Analyse the required properties of EDM tool. Develop models for material removal rate in EDM. Analyse the effect of process variables on MRR.

Procedure
1. The weight of MS slab is noted and is mounted on the work table. 2. The electrode and workpiece are aligned to the position where the crater is to be created. 3. The flush pump is started and the flush nozzle is adjusted such that the paraffin flows over the area where the crater is to be created. 4. The tool is manually brought down till it is slightly above the workpiece. Then the tool is put under auto-mode and it maintains the spark gap automatically. 5. Now the main pump is turned on and the dielectric tank gets filled. The outlet value is adjusted such that the paraffin level remains constant. 6. The voltage, current, TOn and TOff values are entered. 7. The erosion switch is pressed on and electrode comes down and sparking takes place. 8. After 20 minutes the erosion switch is put off and pumps are switched off. 9. After the dielectric medium gets drained out of the tank, the slab is removed and weighed again.

Experimental Data
Workpiece: Mild steel slab Tool: Graphite Density of Mild Steel = 7,850kg/m3 Toff/Ton = 6 seconds Total time = 20 minutes Sr.no. 1 2 3 Sample Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3 Voltage 75 V 75 V 75 V Current 4A 6A 8A Initial Weight 149.58 g 137.47 g 146.16 g Final Weight 149.35 g 136.79 g 144.82 g Material removed 0.23 g 0.68 g 1.34 g

Analysis

Sr. no. 1 2 3

Current (A) 4 6 8

Actual MRR (10-9 m3/min) 1.465 4.331 8.535

9.0000E-09 8.0000E-09 7.0000E-09 MRR (m3/min) 6.0000E-09 5.0000E-09 4.0000E-09 3.0000E-09 2.0000E-09 1.0000E-09 0.0000E+00 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Current (A)
Graph 1 Variation of MRR with Current

Sources of Error
1. The Toff/Ton time was not exactly known. This leads to error in calculating theoretical MMR, but it doesnt affect the actual MRR because theoretical MRR directly proportional to Ton, whereas actual MRR is inversely proportional to the sum of Ton & Toff, which is known. 2. The error arising due to error in measuring the weight of the material. 3. The voltage and current were not constant. There was some fluctuation in the values of current and voltage.

4. The carbon was not removed properly. After EDM, small amount of carbon was found to be deposited on the crater. This shows that the flushing action was not working properly. If carbon was not getting deposited more amount of material could have been removed. 5. The number of sample used are too less (only 3 samples were used) to analysis the observation of effect of variation of current on MRR.

Suggestions to improve the experiment

1. The amount of material removed was too less. This is because very low value of current is applied. If more amount of current is applied, we can actually see a better cut being made on the sample. 2. Time taken for each sample was 20 minutes, which is too high. If a higher amount of current is used the sample working can be done in less time. 3. The weighing machine should be close to the EDM. To measure the weight, we had to go to chemical laboratory. 4. Only square tool was used in this experiment. Different shape of tool should be used. We can than check the ability of the EDM to cut complicated shapes. 5. EDM is also used to drill very small hole. If possible, a small hole should also be drilled in the experiment to see different uses of EDM. 6. The experiment was performed with only 3 samples. More no. of samples should be used.

Conclusion
1. The major different sub-system in EDM are a) Dielectric reservoir, pump and circulation system. b) Working tank with work holding device c) X-Y table accommodating the working table d) The tool holder e) The servo motor to feed the tool 2. The tool used be highly conductive, high melting point, high thermal conductivity, higher density and easily manufacturable. 3. The variation of material removal rate with current was found to be linear. 4. The purpose of the Dielectric medium is to remain electrically non-conductor until the breakdown voltage is reached, but at the same time breakdown electrically in shortest time at breakdown voltage. Further, it prevents the oxidation of the workpiece. Moreover, it rapidly quenchs the spark gap after discharge. 5. The process parameters are: working voltage (VW), open circuit voltage (Vo), maximum current (IO), TOn, TOff, spark gap, dielectric medium, straight polarity (tool ve) and external flushing through the spark gap. 6. The principle and working of EDM was observed.