Computer simulation of performance of electrical discharge machining operations

The electrical discharge machining (EDM) process is optimum for accurate machining of complex geometries in hard materials, as those required in the tooling industry. It has become by far the most popular among the non-conventional machining processes. However, although a large number of EDM machines are sold every year, available knowledge of the process is still very empirical. Experimental trials are required in many cases to set up the optimum conditions for an EDM operation, resulting in increases in lead-time and cost for the final part. The reason for this is the complex nature of the process, highly stochastic, that involves simultaneous interaction of thermal, mechanical, chemical and electrical phenomena. Therefore, research efforts must be directed towards process modelling in order to reduce the experimental cost associated to the technology. In this work, an original computer simulation model of the EDM process is presented. The model is based on the numerical calculation of temperature fields within the workpiece, from which the amount of part material removed per discharge can be estimated. The objective is to theoretically predict material removal rate (MRR) and the final surface finish of the machined part using as input variables the EDM process parameters and the properties of the work material. The model has been validated by carrying out tests on an industrial EDM machine, showing that it can adequately predict MRR and surface roughness with errors below 9%.