Universal Journal of Mechanical Engineering Vol. 3(6), pp. 215 - 221
DOI: 10.13189/ujme.2015.030602
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High Speed Electrical Discharge Machining Using 3-DOF Controlled Magnetic Drive Actuator

Xiaoyou Zhang ^*, Satoshi Tanaka
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Nippon Institute of Technology, Japan

ABSTRACT

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) has several advantages, such as the capability of machining all conductive materials regardless of their hardness and the ability to deal with complex shapes. In EDM, the machining speed largely depends on the probability and efficiency of the electrical discharges. To obtain a stable electrical discharge, it is necessary to maintain a suitable gap between the electrode and the workpiece. In this study, a three-degree-of-freedom (3-DOF) controlled, wide-bandwidth, high-precision, long-stroke magnetic drive actuator was developed to allow the rapid positioning of the electrode, and EDM experiments were conducted using the developed actuator to confirm the increase in the machining speed. Furthermore, planetary machining experiments were also performed to determine if the developed actuator can be used to adjust the diameter of the machined holes. The experimental results demonstrate that the actuator can rapidly adjust the gap between the electrode and the workpiece. In the experiments, using the actuator increased the machining speed by 89% in comparison with using only the conventional electrical discharge machine. In addition, the diameter of the machined hole can be adjusted by using the multi-DOF positioning function of the actuator.

KEYWORDS
Electrical Discharge Machining, Actuator, Magnet, High Speed

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Xiaoyou Zhang , Satoshi Tanaka , "High Speed Electrical Discharge Machining Using 3-DOF Controlled Magnetic Drive Actuator," Universal Journal of Mechanical Engineering, Vol. 3, No. 6, pp. 215 - 221, 2015. DOI: 10.13189/ujme.2015.030602.

(b). APA Format:
Xiaoyou Zhang , Satoshi Tanaka (2015). High Speed Electrical Discharge Machining Using 3-DOF Controlled Magnetic Drive Actuator. Universal Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 3(6), 215 - 221. DOI: 10.13189/ujme.2015.030602.