Abstract
This paper investigates the machining properties of the electrical discharge machining (EDM) at gas–liquid interface which is a new style of EDM process. The feature of the new process is that the dielectric fluid is gradually changed from EDM oil to its dissociated gas during the process and the process is continued after the gap space is filled with the dissociated gas. The influence of the machining conditions such as discharge current and discharge duration on roughness and temperature of the workpiece surface is investigated. Material removal rate and electrode wear rate are also measured. It is found from the experiments that the new process is effective for reducing surface roughness of the workpiece when temperature of the discharging surface of the workpiece is sufficiently risen. It is also found that the material removal rate is nearly zero after the gap space is filled with the dissociated gas.
