Abstract:
The frequent occurrence of inherent abnormal discharges with the progress of machining in resistance–capacitance (RC) based micro-electrical discharge machining (lEDM) affects the product quality and material removal rate
(MRR). This work presents a data acquisition-based analysis to address these alterations by exploring the nature of
discharge pulses of vibration-assisted lEDM process variants. A cost-effective vibrating spindle attachment is developed
for preliminary testing of vibration assistance to the controlled RC-based lEDM and reverse-lEDM processes. Microgrooves of 5 mm 500 lm 500 lm and arrayed micro-rods with an aspect ratio of 20 with a diameter of 0.1 mm were
fabricated using lED-milling and reverse-lEDM, respectively. Two different frequencies, 100 and 150 Hz, are used in
vibration-assisted machining, leading to a maximum 57% reduction in machining time. The discharge pulses acquired
during the machining showed a significant decrease in the arcing phenomenon that helps to understand the variation in
MRR, surface finish, and overcut.
