POWER METALLURGY TOOL ELECTRODES FOR ELECTRICAL-DISCHARGE MACHINING

Electrodes in electrical discharge machining (EDM) can be compared wit h cutting tools in conventional machining. Tool performance is one of the important factors that determine the quality of the machined compo nent. Due to the ease of manufacturing and control over the properties of electrodes, the powder metallurgy (P/M) technique has an advantage over other methods of electrode fabrication. P/M electrodes affect th e micro-and macrovariables in EDM and the properties of P/M electrodes can be controlled over a wide range by adjusting the compacting and s intering conditions. The performance of P/M electrodes on various aspe cts of EDM operation is discussed in this paper. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.