INFLUENCE OF THE ELECTRODE MATERIAL ON ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE MACHINING PROCESS PERFORMANCE

Electrical discharge machining is a non-conventional technology widely used to meet the rigors of industrial requirements imposed by the processing of emerging and advanced materials (e.g., geometrical complexity, high dimensional accuracy, and high surface quality). The electrode is one of the most important factors affecting the process performance in terms of production efficiency and machined surface quality. The aim of the current study is to analyze the influence of the electrode material (i.e., copper, tungsten, and brass) on the performance of electrical discharge machining of a C120 die tool steel, quantified by material removal rate, tool wear rate, and electrode wear ratio. The obtained results were statistically processed using the analysis of variance method, to identify the action model of the process control parameters in the perspective of obtaining superior productivity with minimal electrode wear.