Studies on the Electric Discharge Machining of Ceramics

Abstract

Machining properties of electric conductive ceramics with both ram and wire-type electric discharge machining were investigated to apply them to prosthetic works.All electric conductive ceramics investigated in this study could be machined efficiently with the low electric conditions by the wire-type electric discharge machine and had small clearance and surface roughness.Some of them could be machined more efficiently with the increased electric conditions.Most ceramics could be machined by the ram-type electric discharge machine with similar electric conditions to those adopted for metals.Some ceramics had a machining speed and surface roughness superior to those of pure titanium, and a prosthesis was trially made by using these ceramics.