Papers by Keyword: Electrically Conductive PCD

Abstract: In order to achieve a high efficient and high quality EDM of PCD, the authors have developed a new PCD having superior electrical conductivity by using boron diamond as a source material. On the other hand they applied a method to give ultrasonic vibrations to the electrode, and have made it clear that even the standard PCD could be machined at the similar level of efficiency to the cases of EDMing die steels and cemented carbides. With a purpose to obtain a good surface roughness on the PCD at high efficiency, various EDM conditions and methods were compared in this paper. Firstly, influence of discharge duration time was examined, and it was found that a shorter pulse duration time as t_e=0.5μs showed high efficiency and smaller electrode wear rate. Secondary, influence of bipolar pulse current method was examined, and it was found that the method effected higher efficiency but rather large amount of electrode wear resulted. Thirdly, ultrasonic assisted EDM was conducted, and it was found that the method showed superior result regarding efficiency and wear rate on both standard PCD and EC-PCD. A combination use of ultrasonic assisted and bipolar pulse current EDM methods was also attempted in this research. On the contrary to the expectation, efficiency and electrode wear rate became worse in EDM of standard and EC-PCD in comparison with other methods tested before.

Abstract: For a purpose to improve electric discharge machinability of PCD composed of coarse (25μm) diamond particles, which has been thought to be extremely difficult to EDM, in this study, a method (US-EDM) to give an ultrasonic vibration to an electrode in axial direction, flexural direction and complex direction that couples axial and flexural directions was attempted. As a result, it was found that EDM efficiency could be improved to 6 times higher (0.065mm³/min) than a standard efficiency (0.011mm³/min) obtained in machining conventional PCD (C-PCD) and the electrode wear could be reduced to 1/2 by giving vibrations to the electrode in axial direction (frequency f=28kHz, amplitude δ=18μm). Further, this method (US-EDM) was applied also to a new PCD (EC-PCD) composed of electrically conductive diamond particles. As a result, it was made clear that EDM efficiency could be improved to 0.22mm³/min. This value is equivalent to approximately 5 times higher efficiency obtained in the machining of ordinary die steel and cemented carbide materials.

Abstract: Electrically conductive polycrystalline composite diamond (EC-PCD) material, which consists of electrically conductive diamond particles, has recently been developed for the purpose of providing the material with both excellent tool properties and machinability. This paper deals with effects of giving ultrasonic vibrations to an electrode on the EDM characteristics of EC-PCD with a view to achieve a great improvement in electro-discharge performance. In this series of EDM experiments, three types of ultrasonic vibration modes were selected (axial vibration, flexural vibration and complex vibration). The result showed that the removal efficiency of EC-PCD increased in any vibration modes. Especially when axial vibration with large amplitude and complex vibration composed of axial mode and flexural mode were given to the electrode, removal efficiency became four times higher than that obtained when no vibration was given. And, electrode wear rate was reduced to one third or 68% against the value of 187% obtained when no vibration was given. Furthermore it was shown that the effects resulted from not only the cavitation action of the working fluid but also the vibrational action of the electrode itself.

Abstract: This paper deals with a new PCD named EC-PCD which is made up of boron doped diamond particles and its properties related to EDM machinability. For the purpose of improving various properties of standard PCD including resistance to heat, wear and reactivity, a new PCD (EC-PCD) was manufactured on a trial basis using electrically conductive diamond particle as a basic ingredient. Grain size, resistivity and thermal conductivity of the boron doped diamond used are 10μm, 5~37×10Ω•m and 440~580W/m•K. In this report, machinability of newly developed PCD (EC-PCD) by wire EDM was investigated in comparison with that of standard PCD. In wire cutting of 2 types of PCD in water under the condition of open gap voltage: ue=80V, set peak current: iP=0.8A and pulse condition: te/to=20/20μs, it was found that roughness of the first cut surface of standard PCD was approximately 8μm Rz, while that of EC-PCD was far better such as 3μm. Also in finish cut (7th cut), the latter achieved the value of Rz=1.7μm while the former achieved only the value of Rz=2.7μm. Expecting better performance, EC-PCD was tested also in oil. As a result, the best achieved roughness was improved to Rz=0.4μm with no chipping on the edge. To explore a reason for such a good roughness obtained, the cut samples were observed on the SEM, which revealed that the diamond particles in EC-PCD were flattened by electro discharge.