Wire Electrical Discharge Machining Process

The wire electrical discharge machining (wire-EDM) process is an extensively used variation of the electrical discharge machining (EDM) process. The wire-EDM process machines a variety of electrically conductive materials for precise complex cutting and the fabrication of microtools. The wire-EDM process employs a thin wire as a tool electrode and relies on the spark erosion phenomenon for material removal. The width of cut due to the removed material, i.e., kerf width (generated by cutting through by the wire electrode), is one of the critical output responses, which determines the dimensional accuracy of the process. Kerf width is also called kerf-loss, owing to the loss of material due to cutting operation. Thus, minimization of the kerf width in the wire-EDM process is carried out for higher machining accuracy. Moreover, the rotational motion of the wire and its vibration add complexity to the process, which also depicts the extent of kerf width in the wire-EDM process. The chapter discusses some of the fundamental aspects of kerf width, the impact of wire lateral vibration and wire lag on kerf width, temperature analysis, and wire breakage phenomenon. Adaptation of a set of input process parameters for simultaneous optimization for higher cutting rate, reduced kerf width, and hybridization of the wire-EDM process are briefly discussed. Finally, some key application areas and research opportunities of the wire-EDM process are highlighted.