Synergistic Use of 3D Printing and Electrochemical Plating to Produce Electrical Discharge Machining Electrodes

This work focuses on the fabrication of electrodes made from innovative polymer-metal structures, designed for the Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) and the subsequent analysis of the surface of workpieces machined using these electrodes. The electrodes were manufactured using 3D printing by Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) and plated with a thick layer of copper by electrochemical plating. The EDM was carried out using several technological programs. During the initial testing of the polymer-metal electrodes, the surface roughness of the machined workpieces did not reach the level achieved with conventional electrodes. Therefore, a planetary EDM technology was tested. To define the properties of the machined surfaces achieved during sparking using the tested electrodes, the surface roughness of the workpieces was measured. These values were subsequently converted into grades according to the VDI 3400 standard (VDI - Verein Deutscher Ingenieure) and compared with surfaces machined using conventionally manufactured electrodes. The results showed that the tested polymer-metal electrodes are stable under lower current loads, and the planetary EDM technology enables an improvement in the quality of the workpiece surface, specifically by reducing its roughness.