Tool wear compensation and path generation in micro and macro EDM

In micro electrical discharge machining (micro EDM), tool wear adversely affects the accuracy of a machined feature or a part. Therefore, tool wear compensation techniques have been proposed for micro and macro EDM operations. However, some of these techniques require extensive experiments in determining the appropriate tool path (which depends on part feature, material, and machining parameters) for machining a desired surface. This paper reports the development of a theoretical model to develop the tool path for generating a desired workpiece surface profile. The application of the model is illustrated for micro and macro EDM by machining flat slots. A review of tool wear compensation techniques is also presented.