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Electrothermal theory approach for numerical approximation of the μ-EDM process

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Abstract

A fundamental study of microelectric discharge machining (μ-EDM) based on the physics of single spark and electrothermal theory has been carried out. The machining phenomena in the μ-EDM process are investigated through simulations using finite element method. By creating the single-discharge crater, the topography is measured using an atomic force microscope and the simulation results compared with the experimental result. A temperature distribution along the radius and depth of the workpiece is thus reported. For verification purpose, single-discharge experiments with RC pulse circuit are performed with tungsten carbide as the electrode and stainless steel as the workpiece. The diameter-to-depth ratios of the crater obtained by the simulation and the experiments are 2.92 and 2.67, respectively. The simulation results are found to be in close agreement with experimental results.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Technical Education, Bangalore, 560 001, India

    K. P. Somashekhar

  2. National Institute of Technology, Calicut, Kerala, India

    Jose Mathew & N. Ramachandran

Authors
  1. K. P. Somashekhar
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  2. Jose Mathew
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  3. N. Ramachandran
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Correspondence to K. P. Somashekhar.

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Somashekhar, K.P., Mathew, J. & Ramachandran, N. Electrothermal theory approach for numerical approximation of the μ-EDM process. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 61, 1241–1246 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-012-4100-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-012-4100-9

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