Numerical Modeling of Die-sinking EDM for Evaluation of Material Removal Rate and Surface Roughness

The electrical discharge machining or die-sinking EDM has a great impact over the study of material removal process. The die-sinking EDM plays a significant role in material removal of conducting materials in a very precise manner. This study accounts for the development of a thermo-numerical model using finite element method (FEM) analysis to specifically predict the rate at which material is removed and the roughness of surface which is produced due to machining. Two-dimensional domain of axisymmetric nature has been modeled for analyzing the effect of a single spark discharge with a variation in the values of current. This study is focused on applying the heat flux as a function of Gaussian distribution and for a more realistic prediction of the output parameters. The model which is developed calculates the distribution of temperature within the workpiece by utilizing COMSOL Multiphysics software (Version 5.5), and then, the amount of material removed per unit time and roughness of the surface are calculated from the distribution of temperature over the work domain. The shape of crater formed is evaluated by eliminating the number of elements with higher degree of melting point temperature. Results acquired from the simulation indicate that the surge in the values of current affects the radius and depth of the crater formed.