Thermal simulation of the single discharge for electro-spark deposition diamond wire saw

Due to their excellent physical and mechanical properties, third-generation super hard semiconductor materials (such as SiC, GaN) are widely used in the field of microelectronics. From the crystal bar to electronic devices, slicing is the first machining procedure that directly affects the subsequent process. Fixed diamond wire saw has been widely used in cutting hard and brittle materials. However, the diamond grits of wire saw are bonded through the binding agent’s mechanical embedding that slicing super hard crystal is very difficult and inefficient. In order to improve the slicing efficiency, it is necessary to improve the holding strength and wear resistance of the diamond wire saw. The electro-spark deposition (ESD) process can form metallurgical bonding between metal materials at low heat input. The holding strength and wear resistance of the diamond wire saw can be effectively improved. In this paper, the mechanism of the manufacturing process of ESD diamond wire saw (ESDDWS) is introduced, and the conditions of the manufacturing process of ESDDWS are put forward. A model of the surface heat source of saw wire is established considering the wire shape. The transient thermal analysis of the single discharge of ESDDWS is carried out in ANSYS, and the effect of material compaction on material physical properties is considered. According to the simulation results, the parameter range of the manufacturing process of ESDDWS is predicted. The predictions agreed with experiment observation.