Single Pulse Study of Electrochemical Discharge Machining of Metal Matrix Composites

Single pulse experiments were conducted to study electrochemical discharge machining (ECDM) of particulate reinforced metal matrix composites (MMCs) which are widely used in the packaging industry. This article reports the first phase of this study with an emphasis on the effects of pulse current on crater volume. The results showed that all the ECDM craters have a circular shape surrounded by a rim of re-solidified material. This indicates that ECDM craters were created by arc effect. The craters produced by both electrical discharge machining (EDM) and ECDM increased in volume with increasing peak current. However, within the range of currents studied, the craters formed by ECDM were always smaller than those produced by EDM alone under the same current. Moreover, the crater volume difference between EDM and ECDM did not change considerably with increasing current. This is considered to be due to an increase in ECDM current mainly enhances the arc energy and has little effect on the ECM action. Furthermore, the experiment results showed that the efficiency of the arc action in ECDM is reduced when the percent of reinforcement phase is increased.