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<p>Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) is a widely adopted non-traditional machining technique used for processing hard materials and complex geometries. In recent years, the development of Rapid Tooling (RT) electrodes through innovative fabrication techniques has garnered significant attention, aiming to reduce manufacturing time and costs. Similarly, the current study investigates the feasibility and performance of EDM electrodes fabricated through rapid tooling techniques using the fused filament fabrication process. Two rapid tooling techniques were employed for the fabrication of EDM electrodes. In the first approach, polycarbonate cores printed via the Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) process were subsequently electroplated with a thick copper layer to form functional EDM electrodes. In the second approach, the FFF-fabricated polycarbonate cores were utilized as expendable sand-casting patterns, producing rapid cast electrodes suitable for EDM applications. The developed electrodes were tested for their viability and performance in the EDM machining of EN31 hardened steel on a die-sinking EDM setup, and their performance was compared with that of a conventional solid copper electrode. The performance of the electrodes was measured in terms of material removal rate (MRR), electrode wear rate (EWR), surface roughness (SR), and tool roundness error (TRE) by varying the input current (I), pulse on time (T<sub>on</sub>), and pulse off time (T<sub>off</sub>). Results show that the electroplated RT electrode demonstrated machining performance comparable to the solid copper tool, while the cast electrode provided acceptable performance with slightly higher EWR and SR. Multi-response optimization using TOPSIS indicated that the most favorable compromise between machining efficiency, surface integrity, and dimensional accuracy is achieved at a discharge current of 4 A, a pulse-on time of 60&#xa0;µs, and a pulse-off time of 45&#xa0;µs. Overall, the study demonstrates that RT-based electrode fabrication significantly reduces manufacturing time and supports the rapid production of geometrically complex EDM electrodes without compromising the functional performance.</p>

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An investigation on the feasibility and performance analysis of EDM electrodes produced through rapid tooling route

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月14日

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  • Faheem Faroze,
  • Vineet Srivastava,
  • Ajay Batish

摘要

Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) is a widely adopted non-traditional machining technique used for processing hard materials and complex geometries. In recent years, the development of Rapid Tooling (RT) electrodes through innovative fabrication techniques has garnered significant attention, aiming to reduce manufacturing time and costs. Similarly, the current study investigates the feasibility and performance of EDM electrodes fabricated through rapid tooling techniques using the fused filament fabrication process. Two rapid tooling techniques were employed for the fabrication of EDM electrodes. In the first approach, polycarbonate cores printed via the Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) process were subsequently electroplated with a thick copper layer to form functional EDM electrodes. In the second approach, the FFF-fabricated polycarbonate cores were utilized as expendable sand-casting patterns, producing rapid cast electrodes suitable for EDM applications. The developed electrodes were tested for their viability and performance in the EDM machining of EN31 hardened steel on a die-sinking EDM setup, and their performance was compared with that of a conventional solid copper electrode. The performance of the electrodes was measured in terms of material removal rate (MRR), electrode wear rate (EWR), surface roughness (SR), and tool roundness error (TRE) by varying the input current (I), pulse on time (Ton), and pulse off time (Toff). Results show that the electroplated RT electrode demonstrated machining performance comparable to the solid copper tool, while the cast electrode provided acceptable performance with slightly higher EWR and SR. Multi-response optimization using TOPSIS indicated that the most favorable compromise between machining efficiency, surface integrity, and dimensional accuracy is achieved at a discharge current of 4 A, a pulse-on time of 60 µs, and a pulse-off time of 45 µs. Overall, the study demonstrates that RT-based electrode fabrication significantly reduces manufacturing time and supports the rapid production of geometrically complex EDM electrodes without compromising the functional performance.