A novel numerical predicting method of electric discharge machining process based on specific discharge energy

Performance prediction of the electric discharge machining (EDM) process is the key to the overall study of EDM. Two approaches currently exist for predicting performance; one is an experimental approach and is dependent upon recurrent experiments while the other is a numerical approach with typically poor accuracy. A novel numerical method is proposed in this study to predict different materials' EDM process performance under various conditions in an effective and economic way. This method is based on the specific discharge energy (SDE), a significant factor characterizing performance of materials in the EDM process. The materials with similar SDE exhibit similar performance under same conditions and materials with lower SDE tend to be removed quicker but with diminished performance. A numerical model of the EDM process considering the parameters-variant proportion of the energy distribution and equivalent temperature is established to compute the value of SDE and the model is compared with the previous models. The method is tested utilizing three different materials and is proved to be effective for predicting EDM performance, ultimately providing a convenient and accurate implication to guide manufacturing of various materials, especially new and/or expensive materials.