Abstract
This paper discusses the results of investigating the volume of craters removed, protruded, and resolidifying etc. by single pulse discharge, and the effects of the difference in the crater shape on these volumes calculated by using the method of stacking cross sectional shapes of craters. First, the stacking error of the volume calculated by this method was studied by comparison with mathematical approximation, the volume of a crater whose shape is known was created, and the volume was calculated. The results showed that the calculated volume error can be controlled to below 2% by setting the slice width below 10μm. Next, we calculated the various volumes created by single pulse discharge by mathematical approximation, 3D-CAD, and stacked cross-sectional shape calculation method, and the results showed large errors in the calculation of the volumes by mathematical approximation and 3D-CAD. Finally, we compared the various volumes of craters with different shapes calculated volume by the stacked cross-sectional shape calculation method, and obtained the following results; 1)crater volume is influenced by the crater shape, 2)more than 50% of molten crater remains on the workpiece surface due to the discharge arc column.
