Modul for Micro Electrical Discharge Machining using Gaseous Dielectric Media

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Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) is of special importance within the range of precision manufacturing of small parts in an industrial scale as it is characterized by high accuracy, process reliability and almost complete lack of process forces. A clear drawback of EDM is the dielectric fluid, which is necessary for the erosive process. Normally, the process is conducted with electrode and work piece submerged in deionized water or oil. As opposed to these liquid dielectrics, a gaseous dielectric can be used instead. Such process is described Dry EDM and enables a miniaturisation of the machine setup and a modular machine layout independent of mounting restrictions caused by the characteristics of the dielectric fluid.Within the framework of this project, a novel module for the Dry EDM of three dimensional micro structures will be designed and prototypically implemented. The research in this project will focus on the integration of the systems developed in the first funding period of Priority Program 1476 under consideration of these systems interfaces.Besides the approach of replacing the dielectric fluid with a gaseous medium, another method of resolution will be the manufacturing of three dimensional micro structures by using tubular pin electrodes in a Dry EDM milling process. In doing so, a separation of the electrode movement for gap width control and the infeed will be realized. This enables the integration of the new system into existing concepts of the Priority Program, e.g. into the concept of cooperating movements at a so called production cube.Three dimensional micro machining by use of Dry EDM milling with tubular pin electrodes is new and offers an economically and especially environmentally advantageous alternative to the established micro machining technologies such as micro milling with tools of low diameter.