An Analysis of the Uneven Tool Electrode Wear Mechanism in the Micro-electrical Discharge Machining Process

Micro-electrical discharge machining (micro-EDM) has an issue of uneven tool electrode wear that seriously affects the micro-hole accuracy. However, the mechanism of uneven tool electrode wear remains unclear. In this study, the uneven tool electrode wear mechanism has been studied both theoretically and experimentally. It was first discovered that the ultrafine debris particles produced by the EDM spark play a critical role in uneven tool electrode wear. A theoretical model was established to reveal the movement and the distribution of the debris by employing Einstein’s tea leaf paradox i.e., classic secondary flow theory and the electrophoretic theory. According to this model, when the polarity is positive, the ultrafine debris aggregates gradually and adheres onto the bottom of the micro-hole, thereby a debris layer of a parabolic profile is formed progressively. This dynamic debris layer shields the material to be removed by the EDM spark. As a result, the tip of the tool electrode is unevenly worn into a conical concavity shape. Conversely, under negative polarity, the tip of the tool electrode is unevenly worn into a conical shape. A set of experiments was performed to verify the model and the results agreed well with the predicted phenomena. Subsequently, a novel approach is proposed to eliminate the uneven tool electrode wear by reversing pulse polarity in a repetitive manner. Using this method, uneven tool electrode wear can be avoided and high accuracy micro-holes without the features of a cone and/or conical concavity can be obtained.