Study the Influence of EDM Parameters on Cobalt-Bonded Tungsten Carbide Conductive Ceramic

Advanced ceramics are referred to in various parts of the world as technical ceramics, high-tech ceramics, and high-performance ceramics. A number of distinguishing features of advanced ceramics are they tend to lack a glassy component; i.e., they are “basically crystalline.” Second, microstructures are usually highly engineered, meaning that grain sizes, grain shapes, porosity, and phase distributions are carefully planned and controlled. Technical or advanced ceramics are suitable for application to high-resistance dies and tools for drilling, metal forming and structural components. Nevertheless, manufacturing of these materials is difficult and expensive because they are hard-to-machine materials. In this present study, the parameter of Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) is explored for the processing of conductive ceramic cobalt-bonded tungsten carbide (WC-Co). The main aim of this present study is to analyse the influence of intensity (I), pulse duration (ti), duty cycle (η) and open-circuit voltage (U) on material removal rate (MRR) for conductive ceramic. This study has great industrial interest as there seems to be a lack of knowledge of diesinking EDM of conductive ceramics in comparison with metallic materials.