Features of the use of tool electrodes manufactured by additive technologies in electrical discharge machining of products

Introduction. The paper presents the results of a study of the application of a tool electrode (TE) manufactured by selective laser melting from MS1 maraging steel powder for copy-piercing electrical discharge machining (KPEDM). The purpose of the work: an experimental study of the features of using additively manufactured TEs in KPEDM of critical products. Research methods. The samples were manufactured using a ReaLizer SLM 50 installation. Spherical MS1 powder with an average particle size of 30 mu m was used as the starting material. To test the modes and select the TE sample with the least amount of surface defects, four manufacturing modes were tested, and the best sample was selected for further study. KPEDM was carried out on EMT Smart CNC equipment in a transformer oil environment. The samples were mounted in a clamp with direct polarity and used as TEs, while a 12X18N10T plate served as an electrode-part. The study was conducted using a factorial experiment (type 2 (3) ) with the center of the plan. The input data of the factorial experiment were current I , A, voltage U , W, pulse on time T (on) , mu s. The output parameters were the roughness parameter by Ra and gamma - wear of the EI. The roughness parameter by Ra was measured using the Mahr Perthometer S2 installation. Results and discussion. The SLS method was used to produce EI samples from MS1 powder; the highest quality sample No. 4 was selected for the KPEEM. Empirical equations were obtained that describe the relationship between the surface quality parameter - roughness by Ra and gamma - wear of the EI made of maraging steel MS1, depending on the KPEEM modes. In the minimum mode, with a current of I = 4 A and a voltage of U = 50 V, the wear of the EI is gamma = 0.0063875 g. The maximum wear of the EI is gamma = 0.13938 g with a current of I = 8 A and a voltage of U = 50 V. It was found that with a constant pulse on time of T (on) = 75 mu s, the lowest roughness Ra = 2.83 mu m was obtained with a current of I = 4 A and a voltage of U = 100 V, and the maximum roughness was Ra = 4.1568 mu m with I = 8 A and U = 100 V.