The research objective of this project is to increase process productivity, reliability and economy of micro electro discharge machining process for making micro scale size critical parts used in electronic, automotive and medical device industries. The formation of debris at the micro gap and tool wear affect the productivity, accuracy, reliability and economy of machined micro components. The approach involves establishing a comprehensive data base and fundamental understanding of debris formation and tool wear. Therefore, a theoretical and experimental study of micro electro discharge machining process will be conducted to understand and model debris formation at the gap and tool wear. The machining rate, tool wear, tool geometry and debris size and shape will be measured for various machining parameters and work and tool materials. The contamination models used in waste water disposal will be applied with appropriate modification to model debris concentration.
Knowledge of debris removal gained from this study is expected to have a transformative effect on the design and development of micro fluidic transportation systems for future hybrid/micromachining processes. This research project will extend the capability of micro electro discharge machining especially for high aspect ratio micromachining and freeform micromachining which will be very useful for United States die and mold making, electronic and medical devices manufacturing industries. The research results will be shared with students, academic researchers and industry practitioners via University of Nebraska web site.
