Production of precision slots in copper foil using micro EDM

Area of Science:

• Manufacturing Engineering
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Miniaturization is a key trend in industrial products, especially in optical devices.
• Achieving high quality and accuracy in miniaturized components is challenging.
• Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) is an effective method for machining conductive materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the feasibility of producing a precise 5000 × 170 µm slot in 125 µm copper foil using micro-EDM.
• To explore a novel method using the same copper foil as the tool for micro-part fabrication.
• To optimize micro-EDM parameters for slot production.

Main Methods:

• Utilized micro-Electrical Discharge Machining (micro-EDM) for slot fabrication.
• Employed a Box-Behnken Response Surface Design for 15 experimental runs.
• Monitored the influence of Pulse current, Pulse on time, and Voltage on erosion rate, corner radius, slot length, and width.

Main Results:

• Determined optimal micro-EDM parameters: Pulse current = 2.1 A, Pulse on time = 40 µs, Voltage = 238.8 V.
• Successfully produced a precise slot measuring 5000 × 170 µm in copper foil.
• Demonstrated the viability of using the workpiece material as the tool in micro-EDM.

Conclusions:

• Micro-EDM is a suitable technology for producing miniaturized slots with high precision.
• The novel approach of using the same material for the tool and workpiece advances micro-part manufacturing.
• Optimized parameters ensure efficient and accurate production of micro-features.