Finite Element Analysis of Tool Wear Rate in Electrical Discharge Machining and Comparison with Experimental Results

Abstract

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is one of the precise non-traditional machining processes in which desired shape is obtained in workpiece using electrical sparks. In EDM, material removal from workpiece and tool takes place by means of successive sparks occurring between them. The tool wear is a critical problem in EDM as the change in tool shape directly affects the final shape of the workpiece. In this paper, finite element analysis of tool wear in electrical discharge machining is carried out for copper tool. The input data required for simulation are taken from experimental details available in existing literature. For energy distribution factor, an empirical formula is used. The simulation results are compared and validated with experimental results which showed good agreement.