ELECTROCONTACT DISCHARGE TREPANNING OF METALS

This paper presents the results of a study concerned with electrocontact discharge erosion, undertaken in order to assess the feasibility of using such a phenomenon for the trepanning of metallic materials. The process was carried out using a fixed copper cathode as the tool, a rotatory steel anode as the workpiece, a d.c. generator as the power unit, and a flow of ordinary water with soluble oil as the work fluid. The influence of: the level of the electrical current; the velocity of rotation of the anode; and the fluid pressure; on both the rate of removal of anode material and cathode wear have been determined.