Effect of Tool Electrode Material on the Spark Erosion of Micro Grooves

Micro electro discharge machining is an important unconventional metal micromachining technology. The performance of micro EDM depends on the combination of the tool and work materials used. In the absence of a comprehensive theoretical model to predict the effect of electrode materials on the performance of EDM, experimental investigations as described in this paper become useful. The work materials studied include ferrous, non-ferrous and exotic material (XW42, Ti6Al4V, WC) and the tool electrode materials include the commonly used EDM tool materials namely tungsten, copper and graphite. It is found that in the microgroove machining by micro EDM using foil electrodes, graphite consistently provides higher material removal rate than tungsten and copper tool electrodes and hence it is useful for the rough machining. On the other hand tungsten tool electrode is preferable for finish machining as it provides the least surface roughness.