Indexed by:期刊论文

Date of Publication:2018-01-01

Journal:PRECISION ENGINEERING-JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETIES FOR PRECISION ENGINEERING AND NANOTECHNOLOGY

Included Journals:SCIE、EI

Volume:51

Page Number:198-207

ISSN No.:0141-6359

Key Words:Micromachining; Electrical discharge machining (EDM); Nitrogen plasma jet; Machining characteristics

Abstract:Dielectric, such as kerosene-based oil, deionized water or air, is an essential part of electrical discharge machining (EDM). It directly influences machining performance of the EDM process. While there is large tool electrode wear during machining in liquid dielectric, micro EDM in gas dielectric exhibits almost no tool electrode wear. However, small discharge energy, low dynamic viscosity and low debris concentration of micro EDM in gas creates narrow discharge gap, causing frequent occurrence of abnormal discharge. In this paper, nitrogen plasma jet (NPJ) is used as a dielectric to increase the discharge gap of micro EDM in gas. The machining characteristics of micro EDM in NPJ are investigated and compared with those in other dielectrics. It was found that the discharge distance, machining efficiency and surface quality are significantly improved in NPJ, compared to those in gas under the same conditions. The coaxial high-velocity air jet is helpful to reduce short circuits. Experimental results reveal that NPJ is a viable dielectric in micro EDM.