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A new technique for identification and evaluation of wear in copper electrodes in electrical discharge machining using acoustic emission signals

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Abstract

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is an unconventional machining process based on removing material by successive electrical discharges. The tool electrode wear must be kept as minimal as possible to produce high-precision components. This scope proposes the development of a new technique for identifying wear on electrodes and its evolution using acoustic emission (AE) signals. Therefore, EDM tests were performed on AISI H13 steel parts with electrolytic copper tool electrodes under different conditions with concomitant AE signal measurements. In these tests, the first one has the following parameters: voltage pulse duration time (te) of 150 μs; the time interval between two successive voltage pulses (to) of 14.84 μs; electrical current of 33 A; and positive polarity electrode. For the second test: duration of the voltage pulse of 2 μs; the time interval between two successive voltage pulses of 4.90 μs; electrical current of 18 A; and negative polarity electrode. In this way, a wear rate 28.3 times higher was obtained in the electrolytic copper electrode in the first test, more aggressive due to its parameters, for the same machining time compared to the second test. Finally, the wear of the tool electrodes was related to the AE signals from machining; initially in this study, the workpiece’s mass loss was not verified. These signals were analyzed using the short-time Fourier transform techniques and spectral entropy. The results showed that the signals using the new technique of relation respond to wear and are sensitive to the electrode’s wear rate.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge (i) CAPES and (ii) PUC Minas, especially PROPPG Mecânica, for their continuous support to research and development (R&D), crucial for technological development and for these work achievements.

Funding

This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES) Finance Code 001.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mechanical Engineering Graduate Program, PUC Minas, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil

    Samuel Soares Ferreira, Jánes Landre Júnior & Luís Henrique Andrade Maia

  2. Mechanical Engineering Graduate Program, PUCPR, Curitiba, PR, Brazil

    Fred Lacerda Amorim & Álisson Rocha Machado

  3. Mechanical Engineering Graduate Program, UFU, Uberlandia, MG, Brazil

    Álisson Rocha Machado & Wisley Falco Sales

Authors
  1. Samuel Soares Ferreira
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  2. Fred Lacerda Amorim
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  3. Jánes Landre Júnior
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  4. Luís Henrique Andrade Maia
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  5. Álisson Rocha Machado
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  6. Wisley Falco Sales
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Correspondence to Samuel Soares Ferreira.

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In memory of Wisley Falco Sales

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Highlights

• More aggressive parameters in machining by EDM promote more significant wear on the electrodes.

• Acoustic emission generated during EDM allows monitoring of electrode wear.

• Acoustic emission in EDM is related to the wear of electrodes through spectral entropy

• Carbonization speed is a function of electrical discharge machining parameters.

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Ferreira, S.S., Amorim, F.L., Júnior, J.L. et al. A new technique for identification and evaluation of wear in copper electrodes in electrical discharge machining using acoustic emission signals. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 118, 2285–2298 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-021-08071-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-021-08071-6

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