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Research on efficient electrical discharge machining trepanning technology of TC4 titanium alloy hole

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Abstract

Owing to low machining efficiency, poor machining accuracy, and surface quality in traditional electrical discharge machining (EDM) of TC4 titanium alloy holes, an EDM trepanning method was developed using a deionized water medium and a flushing liquid in tube electrodes (denoted by EDM-TFD). Several experiments and research mechanisms were conducted on EDM-TFD. Compared with traditional EDM, ED milling, and EDM trepanning, EDM-TFD featured increased hole machining efficiency by more than five times, improved machining taper by more than 57%, and improved surface quality by more than 40%. The optimal processing technology was determined through process experiments using copper tube electrodes, a flushing liquid with a speed of 2 m/s, pulse width (Ton) of 150 μs, pulse interval (Toff) of 150 μs, and peak current (Ip) of 15 A. Under the optimized process, the hole exhibited a feed rate of 1.1 mm/min, machining efficiency of 38 mm3/min, machining taper of 40 μm, and surface roughness of 5.2 μm.

Highlights

  • An EDM trepanning method was developed using a deionized water medium and a flushing liquid in tube electrodes (denoted by EDM-TFD). This method can process through-hole parts, only a small portion of the material is etched away, and most of the material exists in the form of cores, which can significantly reduce the volume of the etching and improve the processing efficiency.

  • Compared with EDM, ED milling, and EDM-T, the EDM-TFD method featured increased machining efficiency by more than five times, increased machining taper by more than 57%, and improved surface quality by more than 40%.

  • The effects of flushing speed and electrical parameters on the machining of titanium alloy holes were studied. The optimal processing technology was determined through process experiments using copper tube electrodes, a flushing liquid with a speed of 2 m/s, pulse width (Ton) of 150 μs, pulse interval (Toff) of 150 μs, and peak current (Ip) of 15 A.

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Acknowledgements

The authors extend their sincere thanks to those who contributed in the preparation of the instructions.

Funding

This project was supported by the National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Helicopter Transmission (Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics) (Grant No. HTL-A-20G05) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51675272).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, 210016, China

    Mingbo Qiu, Entao Wu, Chuangchuang Guo, Zongxiu Yao, Jingtao Li, Yimiao Zhang & Zhidong Liu

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  1. Mingbo Qiu
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  2. Entao Wu
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  3. Chuangchuang Guo
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  7. Zhidong Liu
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Qiu, M., Wu, E., Guo, C. et al. Research on efficient electrical discharge machining trepanning technology of TC4 titanium alloy hole. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 132, 1497–1509 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-024-13362-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-024-13362-9

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