Abstract
Many insulating ceramic materials, such as Si3N4, ZrO2, and Al2O3, and the single-crystal materials ruby, sapphire, and diamond, could be machined by EDM and WEDM with the assisting electrode method. WEDM with the assisting electrode method has successfully machined various insulating ceramics materials, such as Si3N4 and ZrO2, up to a thickness of 100mm, but it has not been successful for SiC with a high melting point and a high thermal conductivity. In this study, the effects of the wire electrode material on machining properties were examined to obtain better machining properties such as a high removal rate and a low machined surface roughness. As a result, the machining characteristics were improved compared with those observed in previous trials. The discharge behavior was discussed by considering discharge waveforms and EDMed surface conditions.
