Title: A method for microstructures fabrication by using micro-EDM

Authors: Yong Zhang, Zhenlong Wang, Zhiyong Li, Wansheng Zhao

Addresses: School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 422, West Dazhi Street 92, Harbin 150001, China. ' School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 422, West Dazhi Street 92, Harbin 150001, China. ' School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 422, West Dazhi Street 92, Harbin 150001, China. ' School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 422, West Dazhi Street 92, Harbin 150001, China

Abstract: In this paper, a micro-EDM equipment with four axes, three of which perform linkage movement is developed. A method of electrode wear compensation online which is very important to micro 3D structures machined by micro-EDM is presented. In this method, the wear of electrode can be predicted by the statistics law of open rate of discharge status, therefore, its precise model which is very difficult to build as well as the special CAD/CAM system is hardly necessary. At the same time, the micro-EDM CAD/CAM technology which applies the universal CAD/CAM software for milling is also researched and experienced on Unigraphics (UG). At last, micro 3D structures, a micro turbo with 24 blades, 4 mm in dimension of outer diameter and a micro 3D beam which is very popular in MEMS, are machined on silicon wafer by this way, which proves the wide useful of this method and the promising application in MEMS.

Keywords: micro-EDM; wear compensation; 3D structures; CADCAM; ultraprecision machining; microstructure fabrication; electro-discharge machining; electrical discharge machining; electrode wear; milling; silicon wafers; MEMS; microelectromechanical systems; microturbo.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMMM.2007.012667

International Journal of Machining and Machinability of Materials, 2007 Vol.2 No.1, pp.59 - 70

Published online: 06 Mar 2007 *

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