Electrical discharge machining by rapid tools prepared by micro stereo-lithography process with copper metallization.

Area of Science:

• Manufacturing Engineering
• Materials Science
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• Rapid tooling (RT) is an emerging manufacturing technology for fabricating tools.
• RT offers reduced machining time and cost, with higher geometric freedom.
• Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is a key non-traditional machining process.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the application of RT techniques in EDM for machining 304 L stainless steel.
• To evaluate the performance of RT tools compared to conventional massive copper tools.
• To analyze the impact of RT tools on material removal rate, tool wear, surface integrity, and crack density.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of RT tools using micro stereo-lithography (micro-SLA).
• Coating of RT tools with copper using electroless metallization and electroplating.
• Machining of 304 L stainless steel using both RT tools and massive copper tools in EDM.
• Analysis of machined surfaces and tool performance using SEM and EDX.

Main Results:

• RT tools demonstrated a higher material removal rate compared to massive copper tools.
• The number of micro-cracks on machined surfaces was reduced when using RT tools.
• RT tools exhibited a higher tool wear rate and resulted in increased surface roughness.

Conclusions:

• Copper-coated micro-SLA RT tools are viable for EDM of stainless steel, offering improved material removal and reduced cracking.
• Trade-offs exist, with RT tools showing higher wear and surface roughness than conventional tools.
• Further optimization of RT tool design and coating is recommended for enhanced performance.