Electrode Tool Wear at Electrical Discharge Machining

Abstract

As consequence of the development of electrical discharge machining process, the electrode is affected by wear; knowing the evolution of the electrode wear, a better estimation of its service life is possible. It is expected that the electrode wear depends on the energy of the electrical discharges and the mass of the electrode. It is known also that the nature of the workpiece material exerts influence on the evolution of the electrode wearing process. In the paper, some theoretical considerations are used to highlight the above mentioned aspects. A set of experimental tests was designed and developed in order to highlight the influence exerted by the nature of the workpiece material and by the size of the cross section of the electrode, respectively, on the electrode wear. Empirical mathematical models corresponding to the evolution of the electrode wear were established.