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Micro-electrical Discharge Machining of Hard Brittle Materials

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Micro and Nano Fabrication Technology

Part of the book series: Micro/Nano Technologies ((MNT,volume 1))

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Abstract

In recent years, the use of single crystals and ceramic materials such as silicon carbide (SiC), alumina, and silicon nitride has received intensive attention in mechanical and manufacturing engineering. However, due to their high hardness, these materials are typically difficult to machine by mechanical machining methods. In particular, the fabrication of microstructures and high aspect ratio micro hole on these hard and brittle materials by using cutting and abrasive machining is very difficult and involves high production cost. As an alternative approach, micro-electrical discharge machining (micro-EDM) is effective. In this chapter, three major approaches that have been used by previous researchers to improve the EDM machinability of low conductivity and insulating ceramic materials such as powder mixed EDM, assisting electrode EDM and electrical discharge milling and grinding, will be overviewed. Then some newly developed technologies for machining hard and brittle materials by using micro-EDM will be introduced. One is hybrid micro-EDM by combining ultrasonic cavitation and carbon nanofibers. The effect of carbon nanofiber concentration and ultrasonic vibration on micro hole geometry, surface topography, and surface roughness will be described. By using the hybrid EDM process, high aspect ratio micro holes and micro dimples were successfully fabricated on RB-SiC. Another example is a hybrid tooling technology using polycrystalline diamond (PCD) for micro-EDM and grinding of single-crystal SiC. This enabled achieving extremely smooth surfaces in nanometer level after EDM.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Manufacturing Process Department, Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Hang Tuah Jaya, Melaka, Malaysia

    Pay Jun Liew

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Japan

    Jiwang Yan

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  1. Pay Jun Liew
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  2. Jiwang Yan
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Correspondence to Pay Jun Liew .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Keio University Department of Mechanical Engineering, Yokohama, Japan

    Jiwang Yan

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Liew, P.J., Yan, J. (2018). Micro-electrical Discharge Machining of Hard Brittle Materials. In: Yan, J. (eds) Micro and Nano Fabrication Technology. Micro/Nano Technologies, vol 1. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6588-0_25-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6588-0_25-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-10-6588-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-10-6588-0

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Micro-electrical Discharge Machining of Hard Brittle Materials
    Published:
    17 April 2018

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6588-0_25-2

  2. Original

    Micro-electrical Discharge Machining of Hard Brittle Materials
    Published:
    08 February 2018

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6588-0_25-1

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