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Study on the fabricated feasibility of electrodes in EDM using rapid prototyping (RP) and investment casting technology

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Abstract

This study fabricates a roughing electrode of electrical discharge machining (EDM) using a rapid prototyping (RP) system and investment casting technology, which reduces the overall time that is required for fabrication and the cost of the manufacturing process for a selected electrode. Pro/E (3D CAD) software is used to design the electrode prototype, which has a complex appearance, and to transform the CAD model into stereolithography (STL) format. An RP machine (Zcorp 402 3DP) is used to construct a gypsum-based powder model. After a sealing process using the permeation of resin, the water resistance and strength of the gypsum-based material are increased. The manufacturing process then involves creating a wax model with a gypsum electrode that is strengthened by resin permeation by casting a vulcanized silicone molding. The brass electrode is fabricated using investment casting technology. The results of an EDM test show that the brass electrodes with RP that are manufactured perform well and the total time that is required to machine the EDM electrode using RP is 15.8% less than the time that is required for a CNC machining process.

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Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of China for this work, under contracts MOST-107-2622-E-262-004-CC3 and MOST-108-2622-E-262-007-CC3.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechatronic Engineering, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Qi-Xuan Wu & Tien-Li Chang

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lunghwa University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Ming-Chang Wu, Chun-Yao Hsu & Chung-Chen Tsao

  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mingchi University of Technology, New Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Chih-Chung Hu

Authors
  1. Qi-Xuan Wu
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  2. Ming-Chang Wu
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  3. Chih-Chung Hu
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  4. Chun-Yao Hsu
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  5. Tien-Li Chang
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  6. Chung-Chen Tsao
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Correspondence to Tien-Li Chang or Chung-Chen Tsao.

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Wu, QX., Wu, MC., Hu, CC. et al. Study on the fabricated feasibility of electrodes in EDM using rapid prototyping (RP) and investment casting technology. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 109, 377–384 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-020-05666-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-020-05666-3

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