Super Dielectric Based EDM Process for Drilling of Inconel 718
M. Tanjilul, Dennis Wee Keong Neo, A. Senthil Kumar
Abstract
A noncontact machining process such as electrical discharge machining (EDM) is generally employed for machining electrically conductive materials irrespective of its hardness. However, the process becomes unstable and slow when deep features are to be machined. Furthermore, the standard dielectric-based EDM process is unable to meet the requirements of today’s fast moving manufacturing industry. Therefore, in this study the authors present the development of a novel super dielectric which is used in the EDM drilling process, and experimentally demonstrate how the machining efficiency in the drilling of a deep hole is improved significantly. In addition the effect of super dielectric fluid on the plasma current is presented and the experimental observations have been validated through the plasma physics theory. The efficiency of the super dielectric-based EDM process is experimentally validated with the successful drilling holes of aspect ratio more than 100 in Inconel 718 within 6 minutes.