Experimental and simulation study of the ED-milling flow field to improve its machining performance

In electrical discharge milling (ED-milling), the flow field of the working medium plays an important role in the removal of discharge eroded particles from the discharge gap. In this work, a flow field model between the electrode and workpiece was established based on analysis of the moving path of the eroded particles in the discharge gap. The influence of the single-layer cutting thickness and electrode diameter on the flow field and machining performance was studied via simulations and experiments. Three kinds of new structure electrodes containing multiple holes were designed to improve the eroded particle removal efficiency. The flow field and machining performance of ED-milling with these new electrodes were studied via simulations and experiments. Through the design of multiple holes surrounding the electrode outer wall, the flushing flow field was more conducive to the removal process of the eroded particles. By adopting the newly designed electrode, the ED-milling machining efficiency was improved by 33%.