Tool Wear Assessment in Electro- Discharge Machining Process

Abstract

Electro-Discharge Machining (EDM) is a process mainly used in the mould making industry. The process has  gained in popularity around the world due to its ability to machine complex and intricate shapes, very hard and  brittle materials as compared to conventional material removal processes.

Nevertheless, the EDM process has also its drawbacks. A significant amount of tool wear, which can adversely  affects the dimensional tolerance of the process as well as the economics of machining, occurs. In addition, the presence of a white layer along with micro-cracks is often source of a low performance and  reduced life span.

The results have shown that the effect of pulse current on tool wear is higher than that of pulse duration during an EDM operation.

Keywords: tool wear, Electro-Discharge Machining (EDM), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Taguchi Orthogonal Array.