Comparison of arc plasma ignited by different pulse generators working on SiC surface in EDM

Abstract

SiC is a popular topic since it has better performance than conventional semi-conductor in electronic applications. However, the hardness of SiC approaches to that of diamond which results in a challenge for conventional abrasive wire slicing in EDM. Thus, arc plasma ignited on the SiC workpiece should be investigated. Besides, it is clear that current pulse shapes have influences on the discharge phenomena which can influence the machining efficiency, tool wear and thickness of damage layer etc. in EDM. However, the gap phenomenon of discharging ignited by different current pulse shapes have not be demonstrated clearly, which should be investigated carefully. In this case, a high speed video camera is used to observe the gap phenomena and take photos to get diameters of arc plasma, which is useful to understand the discharge process on the SiC when using different pulse generators.