Investigation of the influence of EDM parameters on the overcut for AISI D3 tool steel

Electric discharge machining (EDM) has been proven as an alternative process for machining complex and intricate shapes from difficult-to-machine materials such as hard steels. The success of electric discharge machined components in real applications relies on the understanding of material removal mechanisms, and the relationship between the EDM parameters and the formation of surface and subsurface damage. This paper presents a detailed investigation of the EDM machining characteristics of hardened AISI D3 tool steel. The machining response is the overcut of the process (OC), and the input parameters are pulse current I-p, pulse-on time Ton, pulse-off time T-off, and the gap voltage V-g. The experimental results have provided the optimal combination of input parameters that gives the minimal overcut on the machined surface.