Exploration of shaping conductive ceramic by ultrasonic-aided wire electrical discharge machining

An investigation has been made into the shaping of conductive ceramics by means of ultrasonic-aided electrical discharge machining. A vibrating device has been designed to undertake the work, and the theory to describe the vibration modes of the wire under ultrasonic action has been established. Experimental results show that there is a peak current limit on the cutting rate when the conductive ceramic is processed by the wire cut machine. Once the current exceeds the limitation, cutting rate drops rapidly. After the ultrasonic vibration is introduced, the cutting rate increases, and machining can be carried out under the greater peak current, hence the maximum cutting rate can increase by 50% or more. In addition, the surface integrity of the workpiece machined can be improved by the combined technology.