Experimental investigations into electrical discharge machining with a rotating disk electrode

In electrical discharge machining, when the provision of holes in the electrode is impracticable, flushing of the working gap poses a major problem. Use of a rotating disk electrode is proposed as a more productive and accurate technique than use of a conventional electrode. Material removal rate, tool wear rate, relative electrode wear, corner reproduction accuracy, and surface finish aspects of a rotary electrode are compared with those of a stationary one. The effective flushing of the working gap brought about by the rotation of the electrode remarkably improves material removal rate and machines surfaces with a better finish. Despite the prevalent high tool wear rate, the reproduction accuracy is least affected as the wear gets uniformly distributed over the entire circumference of the disk. Machining of a sharp corner is possible even with an aluminum electrode, whose relative electrode wear is greater than unity.