Characterisation and modelling of tool electrode wear during planetary EDM of titanium grade 5 alloy

Abstract

Planetary actuation of the tool electrode is one of the most widely used process improvement technique for enhancing sparking effectiveness and reducing tooling cost in EDM process. This paper discusses an experimental investigation on effect of machining as well as tool actuation parameters on tool wear rate (TWR) during EDM of titanium grade 5 alloy with planetary tool actuation. End wear and corner wear on the tool electrode have also been studied qualitatively to understand the wear intensity. Two different tool electrode materials, viz. copper and graphite with square shape have been used for experimentation. Further, semi empirical models have been developed by incorporating process parameters as well as physical properties of the electrode materials for predicting rate of erosion from the tool electrode. The results predicted by models developed for both copper and graphite electrodes have found to be in reasonable agreement with the experimental results.