Design of optimum planetary electro discharge machining strategies

The use of Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) for the manufacturing of moulds and dies is generally accomplished by using different cutting regimens, from roughing to finishing, until the specified surface finish and dimensional tolerances are met. Multistage planetary EDM can be used to simplify the production process. Benefits such as the reduction of machining time, the need for less electrodes, electrode wear minimization and the improvement of the final surface finish of the component can be obtained. Design of multistage planetary EDM strategies requires a sound knowledge of the optimum radius for each orbit that assures surface roughness and dimensional accuracy together with a minimum machining time. Therefore, it is necessary to know the "exact" value of the gap at each stage. In this paper the influence of different process variables on the design of multistage planetary EDM strategies is analyzed.