Dry electrical discharge machining

Introduction
Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is a removal technol-
ogy to machine metal or more in general electrical conduc-
tive materials. A voltage is applied between work piece and
tool electrode, witch are separated and isolated with a di-
electric fluid. When the gap is small enough, the high elec-
tric field ionizes the dielectric fluid and a spark will be gen-
erated. Due to the high spark temperature, some electrode
material will melt and creat a punctual material removal.
Repeating single sparks with mega Hertz frequencies, it is
possible to reach relatively high material removal rates.
This process is quasi force free and dont depend on the
Image 2: Dry EDM according to Kunieda
hardness of the work piece. Due to this and others peculi-
arities of this machining method in respect to the traditional
machining method, EDM became an advantageous or even Results
essential sub process of many production processes. The
traditional EDM happens in a bath of dielectric fluid. Its An experiment setup that permits a tool electrode rotation
functions are to cool, to isolate and to flush the working up to 2000 rpm and 35 bars and an interior flushing with
gap. By dry EDM we mean an EDM process without liquid different gases has been built. With this set-up the influence
dielectric fluid. Among others the advantages are a simpler of open voltage, current, spark time, sparke pause, flushing
and cheaper machine, the possibility to work in all spaces pressure, rotation velocity on material removal rate, tool
directions with a robot arm, easy possibilities to do a combi- wear ratio and surface quality with different materials com-
process and compared to kerosene based oils it is more bination and flushing gases have been measured. The used
ecological. To reach the usual effect of the liquid dielectric work piece materials have been steels, sintered metals and
with a gaseous medium, some measures are necessary. cemented carbide. The used tool materials have been cop-
per and cemented carbide. The used gases have been air,
azote, oxigen and carbone dioxide. With the generated
results and the comparison with theoretical models a better
understanding of the dry EDM mechanism has been
reached and additional comparisons with traditional EDM
have been made.

Status
The project has been sponsored by the innovation promo-
tion agency (CTI) with the project number 9816.1 and after
a cost free prolongation and a total duration of 30 month
hast been concludet on august 2011.

Project partners
Image 1: Dry EDM at the IWF laboratories
Agie: EDM, Losone/Schweiz
Technology Balzer Technik: Tool electrodes, Domdidier/Schweiz
The tool electrode is flushed with pressure gas from the Cabagas: Gas, Gmligen/Schweiz
inside to bring the melted metal away from the erosion CRPP EPFL: Physics of plasma, Lausanne/Schweiz
zone. Rotation of the tool electrode stabilizes the process
and enhances the removal rate. Therefore a rotational
symmetric tool electrode with interior channel is employed. Contact
Beside usual tube electrode also multichannel electrode are Raoul Roth
employed. The process can be used to drill some holes or, IWF Institut fr Werkzeugmaschinen und Fertigung
if the tool is moved like in milling machining, free form can ETH Zrich
be machined. Beside the usual EDM parameters as open CLA Tannenstrasse 3
circuit voltage, sparking time and pause time, new parame- CH-8092 Zrich
ters are introduced with dry EDM, like flushing pressure, Tel +41 44 632 54 84
rotation speed, form, wall thickness of the electrode as well E-Mail roth@inspire.ethz.ch December 2011
as its motion.