Enhancement of material removal rate in Electric Discharge Machining of Inconel 718 using cryo-treated graphite electrodes

Recent advancements witnessed the growth of many Nickel based super alloys like Inconel 718 which has very high strength and corrosion resistance. However, non-conventional machining processes are required for these super alloys due to its poor machinability. Electric Discharge Machining (EDM) is one such non-conventional machining operation where we can machine the materials irrespective of their hardness & strength. One of the limitations of EDM is the low Material Removal Rate (MRR). This paper discusses the effects of cryogenically (cryo) treated graphite electrodes on the MRR of Inconel 718 during EDM operation. Experimental results showed that MRR is improved by using the cryo-treated graphite electrodes.