Title: Effect of flushing condition on deep hole micro-EDM drilling

Authors: Vijay Kumar Meena; Man Singh Azad; Souren Mitra

Addresses: Bio Medical Instrumentation, Central Scientific Instruments Organisation, Sector-30C, Chandigarh-160030, India. ' Micro Systems Technology Laboratory, Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Durgapur-713209, West Bengal, India. ' Production Engineering Department, Jadavpur University, 188 Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Kolkata-700032, West Bengal, India

Abstract: This paper describes the effect of various flushing conditions on the accuracy of deep holes drilled via micro electrical discharge machining (EDM) machining. Copper tubes were used for deep hole drilling in copper. Various dielectric flushing conditions (side jet flushing, through flushing, through flushing combined with side jet flushing, immersion flushing) were evaluated for their effect on the diameter variation, overcut and circularity at workpiece entrance and exit of deep hole drilled. Through flushing and immersion flushing were observed suitable for deep hole drilling whereas side flushing and its combination with through flushing were observed unsuitable for higher aspect ratios holes.

Keywords: micro EDM; electro-discharge machining; electrical discharge machining; dielectric flushing; deep holes; deep hole drilling; copper tubes; diameter variation; overcut; circularity; drilling accuracy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMMM.2012.050429

International Journal of Machining and Machinability of Materials, 2012 Vol.12 No.4, pp.308 - 320

Received: 11 Dec 2010
Accepted: 09 Jun 2011

Published online: 23 Aug 2014 *

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