02-04-2024

HISTORY
 In 1770, English Physicist Joseph Priestley studied the erosive effect
of electrical discharges.
 Furthering Priestley's research, the EDM process was invented by two
Russian scientists, Dr. B.R. Lazarenko and Dr. N.I. Lazarenko in
1943.
 Their initial process used a spark machining process, named after the
succession of sparks (electrical discharges) that took place between
two electrical conductors immersed in a dielectric fluid.
 The discharge generator effect used by this machine, known as the
Lazarenko Circuit, was used for many years in the construction of
 Objective & Motivation
Harlal Singh Mali, PhD generators for electrical discharge.
• Hard Material can be easily Machined
• Work piece & Tool must be conductive. 4

Contents
•Intro HISTORY
•History
•General aspects of EDM / Characteristics  In 1952, the manufacturer charmilles created the first machine using
•EDM Components (Sub-systems) the spark machining process and was presented for the first time at
•Working Principle the European machine tool exhibition in 1955.
•EDM Setup, Types & Process parameters
•Modeling EDM Process  In their efforts to exploit the destructive effects of an electrical
•Power & Control System: RC & Wave Form discharge, they developed a controlled process for machining of
•Material Removal & Tool Wear metals.
•Other details of elements affecting EDM process
•Dielectric & Circulation System  In 1969, Agie launched the world's first numerically controlled wire-
•Electrode Flushing System cut edm machine(NC-WEDM).
•Electrode Material, Feeding system(Servo), Tool Wear  Seibu developed the first CNC wire EDM (CNC-WEDM)machine
• EDM Applications in 1972 and the first system was manufactured in Japan.
• EDM Advantages & Disadvantages
 Recently, the machining speed has gone up by 20 times.

Introduction General Aspects / EDM – Characteristics

• EDM: electro-thermal non-traditional machining process,
• Electrical energy is used to generate electrical spark and material
removal mainly occurs due to thermal energy of the spark.
• MR from W/P by series of rapidly recurring current discharges
between two electrodes,
• Electrodes separated by a dielectric liquid and subject to an
electric voltage.
• As distance between the two electrodes is reduced, the current
intensity becomes greater than the strength of the dielectric (at
least in some points) causing it to break and hence the spark.
• The shape obtained cavity is replica of the shape of the tool.
Sparks occurs where inter-electrode gap(IEG) is minimum. 6

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General Aspects / EDM – Characteristics

 EDM is a machining method primarily used for hard metals or
EDM - COMPONENTS
those that would be very difficult to machine with traditional
techniques.
 EDM typically works with materials that are electrically
conductive.
 EDM can cut intricate contours or cavities in hardened steel
without the need for heat treatment to soften and re-harden.
 This method can be used with any other metal or metal alloy
namely super alloys such as titanium, hastealloy (Ni-Mo),
kovar(Ni-Co), and inconel(Ni-Cr).
 Also, applications of this process to shape polycrystalline
diamond tools have been reported.
7 10

General Aspects / EDM – Characteristics EDM – Working Principle

 MRR depends on thermal properties (job) rather than its strength,
hardness etc.
 The volume of the material removed per spark discharge is typically in the
range of (1/1,000,000) to (1/10,000) mm3.
 In EDM, geometry of tool - positive impression of hole or geometric
feature.
 Tool wear once again depends on the thermal properties of tool material.
 Local temperature rise is rather high, but there is not enough heat
diffusion (very small pulse on time) and thus HAZ is limited to 2 – 4 μm.
 Rapid heating and cooling leads to surface hardening which may be
desirable in some applications.
 Tolerance value of + 0.05 mm could be easily achieved by EDM.
 Best surface finish that can be economically achieved on steel is 0.40 m.
8 11

EDM - COMPONENTS
 Main components : EDM – Working Principle
1. Power generator and control unit
2. The servo system to feed the tool
3. The tool and tool holder
4. Dielectric reservoir, pump and circulation system
5. Workpiece holding device, X-Y table, CNC
 The work piece and tool are electrically connected to a DC power
supply.
 The current density in the discharge of the channel is of the order of
10000 A/cm2 and power density is nearly 500 MW/cm2.
 A gap, known as SPARK GAP in the range, from 0.005 mm to 0.05
mm is maintained between the work piece and the tool.
 Dielectric slurry is forced through this gap at a pressure of 0.2 MPa
or lesser. 9

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EDM – Working Principle

 As the electric field is established between the tool and the job, the EDM – Working Principle
free electrons on the tool are subjected to electrostatic forces.
 If the bonding energy of the electrons is less, electrons would be
emitted from the tool.
 Such emission of electrons are called or termed as ‘cold emission’.
Cyclic Power
 The “cold emitted” electrons are then accelerated towards the job
through the dielectric medium.  Upon withdrawal of potential difference, plasma channel collapses.
 As they gain velocity and energy, and start moving towards the job,  This ultimately creates compression shock waves on both the electrode
there would be collisions between the electrons and dielectric surface.
molecules.  Particularly at high spots on work piece surface, which are closest to the tool.
 Such collision may result in ionization of the dielectric molecule.  This evacuates molten material and forms a crater around the site of the spark.

 Ionization depends on the ionization energy of the dielectric molecule  The whole sequence of operation occurs within a few microseconds.
13 16
and the energy of the electron.

EDM – Working Principle EDM – Working Principle

 As the electrons get accelerated, more positive ions and electrons would  Material removal in EDM mainly occurs due to formation of shock
get generated due to collisions. waves as the plasma channel collapse owing to discontinuation of
 This cyclic process would increase the concentration of electrons and applied potential difference.
ions in the dielectric medium between the tool and the job at the spark  Generally the workpiece is made positive and the tool negative.
gap.
 Hence, the electrons strike the job leading to crater formation due to high
 The concentration would be so high that the matter existing in that temperature and melting and material removal.
channel could be characterized as “plasma”.
 Similarly, the positive ions impinge on the tool leading to tool wear.
 The electrical resistance of such plasma channel would be very less.
 Generator is used to apply voltage pulses between the tool and job.
 Thus all of a sudden, a large number of electrons will flow from tool to
 A constant voltage is not applied. Only sparking is desired rather than
job and ions from job to tool.
arcing.
 This is called avalanche motion of electrons.
 Arcing leads to localized material removal at a particular point whereas
 Such movement of electrons and ions can be visually seen as a spark.
sparks get distributed all over the tool surface leading to uniform material
 Thus the electrical energy is dissipated as the thermal energy of the
14 removal. 17
spark.

EDM – Working Principle EDM – Schematic

 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 localized heat flux leads to extreme instantaneous
confined rise in temperature which would be in excess of 10,000oC.
 Such localized extreme rise in temperature leads to material
removal.
 Material removal occurs due to instant vaporization of the material
as well as due to melting.
 The molten metal is not removed completely but only partially. FIG FROM FADOO
15 ENGG .COM 18

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CAD MODEL OF EDM[1] Servo System

Flushing Zone

Tool

DC Power Supply

Work Piece Pump

Dielectric Dielectric
Tank Fluid

Fig. Waveform used in EDM

Filter
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Types of electro discharge machining

Fish Bone Diagram Two types of Electro Discharge Machining process.
1. Die-Sinking EDM (The Ram Type)
2. Wire-cut EDM
Each of them used to produce very small and accurate parts as well as large items like automotive
stamping dies and aircraft body components. The largest single use of EDM is in die making.

Fig. Conventional (RAM) EDM Fig. Traveling Wire EDM (TW EDM)
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Process Parameters EDM – Types – Sinker EDM

Mainly related to the waveform characteristics, which is :  The on time setting determines the length or duration of the spark.

 The open circuit voltage - Vo  Hence, a longer on time produces a deeper cavity for that spark and all
subsequent sparks for that cycle.
 The working voltage - Vw
 This creates rougher finish on the workpiece.
 The maximum current - Io
 The reverse is true for a shorter on time.
 The pulse on time – the duration for which the voltage pulse is
applied - ton  Off time is the period of time that one spark is replaced by another.
 A longer off time, for example, allows the flushing of dielectric fluid
 The pulse off time - toff
through a nozzle to clean out the eroded debris, thereby avoiding a short
 The gap between the workpiece and the tool – spark gap - δ
circuit.
 The polarity – straight polarity – tool (-ve)
 These settings can be maintained in micro seconds.
 The dielectric medium
 The typical part geometry is a complex 3D shape, often with small or odd
 External flushing through the spark gap. shaped angles.
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HYBRID WIRE CUT EDM
 Also known as wire-cut EDM and wire cutting.
 A thin single-strand metal wire (usually brass) is fed through the
workpiece submerged in a tank of dielectric fluid (typically deionized
water).
 Used to cut plates as thick as 300 mm and to make punches, tools, and
dies from hard metals that are difficult to machine with other methods.
 Uses water as its dielectric fluid; its resistivity and other electrical
properties are controlled with filters and de-ionizer units.
 The water flushes the cut debris away from the cutting zone.
 Flushing is an important factor in determining the maximum feed rate for
a given material thickness.
 Commonly used when low residual stresses are desired, because it does
not require high cutting forces for material removal.
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Power Generator
Different power generators:
1. Rotary impulse type generator (Oldest & Mechanical Type)
2. Resistance-capacitance type (RC type) Relaxation generator
3.Electronic pulse generator (Transistor Controlled / Inverter Based)
4.Hybrid EDM generator
1.Rotary impulse type generator with rectifier
2.Resistance-capacitance type (RC type) Relaxation generator
3.Electronic pulse generator
3.Electronic pulse generator (Transistor Controlled / Inverter Based)
4.Hybrid EDM generator
02-04-2024
EDM – POWER & CONTROL CIRCUITS(RC v/c Pulse)
 Two mostly used generators (power supplies) are RC circuits based and
transistor controlled pulses (Wave)
 In the first category, the main parameters to choose from at setup time are the
resistance(s) of the resistor(s) and the capacitance(s) of the capacitor(s).
 In an ideal condition, these quantities would affect the maximum current
delivered in a discharge.
 Current delivery in a discharge is associated with the charge accumulated on
the capacitors at a certain moment.
 Little control is expected over the time of discharge, which is likely to depend
on the actual spark-gap conditions.
 Advantage: RC circuit generator can allow the use of short discharge time
more easily than the pulse-controlled generator.
28
EDM – POWER & CONTROL CIRCUITS(RC v/c Pulse)
 Also, the open circuit voltage (i.e. voltage between electrodes when dielectric is
not broken) can be identified as steady state voltage of the RC circuit.
 In generators based on transistor control, the user is usually able to deliver a
train of voltage pulses to the electrodes.
 Each pulse can be controlled in shape, for instance, quasi-rectangular.
 In particular, the time between two consecutive pulses and the duration of each
pulse can be set.
 The amplitude of each pulse constitutes the open circuit voltage.
 Thus, maximum duration of discharge is equal to duration of a voltage pulse.
 Maximum current during a discharge that the generator delivers can also be
controlled.
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EDM – POWER & CONTROL CIRCUITS(RC v/c Pulse)
 Details of generators and control systems on EDMs are not always easily
available to their user.
 This is a barrier to describing the technological parameters of EDM process.
 Moreover, the parameters affecting the phenomena occurring between tool and
electrode are also related to the motion controller of the electrodes.
 A framework to define and measure the electrical parameters during an EDM
operation directly on inter-electrode volume with an oscilloscope external to
the machine has been recently proposed by Ferri et al.
 This would enable the user to estimate directly the electrical parameter that
affect their operations without relying upon machine manufacturer's claims.
 When machining different materials in the same setup conditions, the actual
electrical parameters are significantly different.
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EDM – Power & Control Circuits : Pulse
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EDM – Power & Control Circuits : Pulse
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HOW EPG (Electronic pulse generator) WORKS?
02-04-2024
EDM – Power & Control Circuits: RC
 When using RC generators, the voltage pulses, are responsible
for material removal.
 A series of voltage pulses of magnitude about 20 to 120 V and
frequency on the order of 5 kHz is applied between the two
electrodes.
34
EDM – Power & Control Circuits: RC
35
Analysis of RC type Relaxation EDM Generator
 Capacitor is charged from a DC source. Till the voltage in the capacitor is not
reaching the breakdown voltage of the dielectric medium under the prevailing
machining condition, capacitor would continue to charge.
 Once the breakdown voltage is reached the capacitor would start discharging
and a spark would be established between the tool and work-piece leading to
machining. Such discharging would continue as long as the spark can be
sustained.
 Once the voltage becomes too low to sustain the spark, the charging of the
capacitor would continue.
Fig. Schematic of the working principle of RC type EDM relaxation circuit
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During charging, at any instant, from circuit theory:

Where, Ic = charging current
Vo= open circuit voltage (OCV)
Rc= charging resistance
C = capacitance
Vc= instantaneous capacitor
voltage during charging or
charging voltage
Thus at any instant charging current, Ic,
can be given as:

During discharging, the electrical load coming from the EDM may be
assumed a totally resistive and is characterized by a machine resistance
of Rm. then the current passing through the EDM machine is given by:
Where, Id = discharge current or current flowing
through the machine
Vc= instantaneous capacitor voltage during discharging
Rm= machine resistance
The negative sign in front of the
derivative of the voltage represents
that the Vc is gradually decreasing
during discharging.
Models for MRR & Tool Wear
Now at t = 0 (i.e.at the start
of discharging,
i.e. initiation of the spark),
Vc=Vc* and at t = td, Vc=Vd*

Modeling of Material Removal (Model-1)

MRR is taken as proportional to total energy (Es) delivered /sec.

MRR α ½ C (Vc)2 . f
C-Condenser Capacitance (farad)
- Vc – Charging voltage (v)
f-frequency

For higher condenser

setting and higher
charging resistance(Rc),
the discharge period(td) is
negligible compared to
Vc or Vb-Discharge or breakdown voltage (v)
charging period(tc). K-Constant for VRR
Fig. Schematic representation of the current pulses during charging and
discharging in EDM process. Voltage ratio’s Vo-Open circuit voltage or supply voltage (v)
Can be equated to Vb/Vo. Rc-Charging Resistance

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Modeling of Surface Roughness in EDM (Model-1)

Modeling of Material Removal (Model-2) CLA value of SR is a function of crater depth and sparking frequency.
Ra  crater depth / frequency
Material removal in EDM mainly occurs due to intense localized heating almost by •Assuming the crater depth as radius of a hemispherical crater. (crater depth = r)
point heat source for a rather small time frame. Such heating leads to melting and •Assuming volume of crater is proportional to energy delivered by the RC circuit.
crater formation as shown in Fig.
2/3  r3  ½ CV2
r  (1/2 CV2)1/3
Putting this value of r in the equation for Ra, we get

Ra = k4 (1/2 CV2)1/3 × (1/f) (Eq. 1)

where k4 is a constant

Now, we know that f = 1 / (tc+td) But, assuming tc >>>td We have f = 1/tc

Fig. Schematic representation of crater formation in EDM process

Now putting this value of tc in place of f in Equation 1, we get
The molten crater can be assumed to be hemispherical in nature with a radius r
which forms due to a single pulse or spark.

 Hence material removal in a single spark can be expressed as:

Γs = 2/3 (πr3) Modeling of Surface Roughness in EDM (Model-2)
r = radius of hemispherical crater No two sparks take place side by side. They occur completely
 The energy content of a single spark is given as: randomly so that over time one gets uniform average material
Es= V*I*ton removal over the whole tool cross section. But for the sake of
V= voltage supply
I= current supply
simplicity, it is assumed that sparks occur side by side as per Fig.
ton=time for which current is supplied Depth of penetration is taken as the roughness value.
 Part of this spark energy gets lost in heating the dielectric, and rest is distributed between the impinging
electrons and ions. Thus the energy available as heat at the work-piece is given by:
Ew= k*Es
 Now it can be logically assumed that material removal in a single spark would be proportional to the
spark energy, thus
Γ = g*Es
 Now material removal rate is the ratio of material removed in a single spark to cycle time., thus

 Then such simplified model captures the complexity of EDM in a very efficient manner.
 MRR in practice does increase with increase in working voltage, current, pulse on time and decreases with
increase in pulse off time.
Where, g or k3 – constant
Fig. Schematic representation of the sparks in EDM process.
Thus it may be noted that surface roughness in EDM would increase with
increase in spark energy (Es) and surface finish can be improved by
decreasing working voltage(V), working current(I) and pulse on time(ton).

Recap Modeling of Material Removal (Emperical)

•Intro
•History Material Removal Rate using Melting Point of Work piece(Weller
Formula).
•General aspects of EDM / Characteristics
MRR = (CI/ Tm^1.23 or 1.54 ) mm3/sec
•EDM Components (Sub-systems)
where, C= A constant its value may be taken as 664 in SI units.
•Working Principle
I = current (Amp)
•EDM Setup, Types & Process parameters
Tm= Melting temp.(0C)
• Modeling EDM Process
• Power & Control System: RC & Wave Form
The material removal rate is given by the formula.
•Material Removal & Tool Wear
MRR (g/min) = WRR/T
•Other details of elements affecting EDM process
Where, MRR = material removal rate
•Dielectric & Circulation System
WRR = the work piece removal rate
•Electrode Flushing System
T=time
•Electrode Material, Feeding system(Servo), Tool Wear
• EDM Applications  Higher is the material removal rate in the EDM process, the better is
• EDM Advantages & Disadvantages the machining performance. However, the smaller is the electrode
wear ratio and surface roughness in EDM process, the better is
machining performance.

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EDM : ELECTRODE WEAR

 Graphite has shown a low tendency to wear and has the Weller formula for MRR
. mm /sec
• 𝑀𝑅𝑅 = 3
possibility of being molded or machined into complicated
electrode shapes. • 𝑇𝑚 is melting temperature of work piece
 The wear rate of the electrode tool material (Wt) and the wear in degree Celsius
ratio (Rw) are given by Kalpakjian (1997). • 𝐾𝑒𝑟𝑓 = 𝑤𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 + 2 ∗ 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑢𝑡
• 𝐹𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑘𝑒𝑟𝑓 = 𝐾𝑒𝑟𝑓 𝑤𝑖𝑑𝑡ℎ ∗
𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑝𝑖𝑒𝑐𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠
• 𝐹𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 =

49

Wire EDM Material removal rates depends on

 Peak amperage or intensity of spark.

 Length of the ON time

 OFF time – which influences speed and stability.

 Duty cycle-percentage of on time relative to total cycle

time during which actually material get removed.

 Gap-smaller the gap better is accuracy smaller the MRR.

Wire EDM EDM – Surface Integrity

 Surface consists of a multitude of overlapping craters that are formed by
the action of microsecond-duration spark discharges.
 Crater size depends on
 physical and mechanical properties of the material
 composition of the machining medium
 discharge energy and duration.
 Integral effect of thousands of discharges per second leads to machining
with a specified accuracy and surface finish.
 Depth of craters - the peak to valley (maximum) of surface roughness Rt.
 Maximum depth of damaged layer can be taken as 2.5 times of roughness
Ra.
 According to Delpreti (1977) and Motoki and Lee (1968), the maximum
peak to valley height, Rt, was considered to be 10 times Ra.
54

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EDM – DIELECTRIC
PROCESS CAPABILITIES  Tap water cannot be used as it ionises too early and thus breakdown due
to presence of salts as impurities occur.

MRR=800 mm3/min  Dielectric medium is generally flushed around the spark zone.
 It is also applied through the tool to achieve efficient removal of molten
material.
Tolerance=15 μm
 Three important functions of a dielectric medium in EDM:
1. Insulates the gap between the tool and work, thus preventing a spark
Surface Finish=0.2- 12.5 CLA μm
to form until the gap voltage are correct.
2. Cools the electrode, workpiece and solidifies the molten metal
Surface damage depth=125 μm particles.
3. Flushes the metal particles out of the working gap to maintain ideal
Corner Radii=0.025mm cutting conditions, increase metal removal rate.
 It must be filtered and circulated at constant pressure.
58

EDM – DIELECTRIC
• The main requirements of the EDM dielectric fluids are adequate
DESIRED PROPERTIES OF DIELECTRIC
viscosity, high flash point, good oxidation stability, minimum odor, low
cost, and good electrical discharge efficiency.  It should have high flash point, which provided a safer working
• For most EDM operations, kerosene is used with certain additives that environment.
prevent gas bubbles and de-odoring.  It should have low viscosity.
• Silicon fluids and a mixture of these fluids with petroleum oils have given  High dielectric strength
 Minimum deionization time
excellent results.
• Other dielectric fluids with a varying degree of success include aqueous
solutions of ethylene glycol, water in emulsions, and distilled water.
DIELECTRIC MATERIAL:-
• Moreover, during sparking it should be thermally resistant as well.
•Kerosene oil
•Transformer oil
• Most common dielectric fluid in EDM are kerosene and de-ionised water .
•Paraffin oil
•Silicon based oil
•De-ionized water.
56

EDM – DIELECTRIC EDM – FLUSHING

 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.
 Oxidation often leads to poor surface conductivity (electrical) of the
workpiece hindering further machining.
 Hence, dielectric fluid should provide an oxygen free machining
environment.
 Further it should have enough strong dielectric resistance so that it does
not breakdown electrically too easily.
 But at the same time, it should ionize when electrons collide with its
molecule.
 One of the important factors in a successful EDM operation is the removal of
debris (chips) from the working gap.
 Flushing these particles out of the working gap is very important, to prevent
them from forming bridges that cause short circuits.
 EDMs have a built-in power adaptive control system that increases the pulse
spacing as soon as this happens and reduces or shuts off the power supply.
 Flushing – process of introducing clean filtered dielectric fluid into spark gap.
 If flushing is applied incorrectly, it can result in erratic cutting and poor
machining conditions.
 Flushing of dielectric plays a major role in the maintenance of stable
machining and the achievement of close tolerance and high surface quality.
 Inadequate flushing can result in arcing, decreased electrode life, and increased
production time.

57 60

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EDM – FLUSHING Few Applications: Machining of spheres

 Four methods:
 Shichun and coworkers (1995) used simple tubular electrodes
1. Normal flow 2. Reverse flow
in EDM machining of spheres, to a dimensional accuracy of
3. Jet flushing 4. Immersion flushing
±1 μm and Ra < 0.1 μm.
 Rotary EDM is used for machining of spherical shapes in
conducting ceramics using the tool and work-piece
arrangement as shown below.

61 64

Few Applications : Machining of dies & molds

EDM – MATERIAL REMOVAL RATE • EDM milling uses standard cylindrical electrodes.
 Simple-shaped electrode (Fig. 1) is rotated at high speeds and
follows specified paths in the w/p like the end mills.
 Useful and makes EDM very versatile like mechanical milling.
 Solves the problem of manufacturing 3-D cavities, accurate and
complex-shaped electrodes for die sinking (Fig. 2).

Effect of pulse current (energy) on MRR & surface roughness.

(Fig. 1) (Fig. 2)
62 65

EDM – ELECTRODE WEAR APPLICATIONS - MACHINING OF DIES & MOLDS

 EDM milling enhances dielectric flushing due to high-

speed electrode rotation.
 Electrode wear can be optimized due to its rotational
and contouring motions.
 Main limitation in EDM milling - Complex shapes
with sharp corners cannot be machined because of the
rotating tool electrode.
 EDM milling replaces conventional die making that
requires variety of machines such as milling, wire
cutting, and EDM die sinking machines.
63 66

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Applications : EDM of Insulators ADVANTAGES

 A sheet metal mesh is placed over the ceramic material.
 Spark discharges between the negative tool electrode and the
metal mesh.
 These sparks are transmitted through the metal mesh to its
interface with the ceramic surface, which is then eroded.
67
 Complex shapes that would otherwise be difficult to
produce with conventional cutting tools.
 Extremely hard material to very close tolerances.
 Very small work pieces where conventional cutting tools
may damage the part from excess cutting tool pressure.
 There is no direct contact between tool and work piece.
 Delicate sections and weak materials can be machined
without any distortion.
 A good surface finish & a Burr free process.
 Due to dielectric fluid, there is very little heating of the
bulk material

Applications : Texturing
 Texturing is applied to steel sheets during the final stages of cold DISADVANTAGES
rolling.
Some of the disadvantages of EDM include:
 Shot blasting (SB) is an inexpensive method of texturing.
 The slow rate of material removal.
 Limitations of SB include its lack of control and consistency of
 For economic production, the surface finish specified should not be too
texturing, and the need for protection of other parts of the
fine.
equipment holding the roll.
 The additional time and cost used for creating electrodes for ram/sinker
 EDT, is a variation of EDM and proved to be the most popular.
EDM.
 Texturing is achieved by producing electrical sparks across the
 Reproducing sharp corners on the workpiece is difficult due to electrode
gap between roll (workpiece) and a tool electrode, in the presence
wear.
of dielectric (paraffin).
 Specific power consumption is very high.
 Each spark creates a small crater by the discharge of its energy in
 Power consumption is high.
a local melting and vaporization of the roll material.
 "Overcut" is formed.
 By selecting the appropriate process variables such as pulse
current, on and off time, electrode polarity, dielectric type, and  Excessive tool wear occurs during machining.
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the roll rotational speed, a surface texture with a high degree of  Electrically non-conductive materials can be machined only with specific 71
accuracy and consistency can be produced. set-up of the process

Advantages:-
 Tolerances of +/-0.005 mm can be obtained.
 Material Hardness, Toughness, Brittleness does not
effect the process.
 Cutting complex shapes & thin walled configurations
without distortion.
 Process leaves no burrs.
Disadvantages:-
 Only able to machine conductive material.
 More expensive process than conventional Milling or
Turning.

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