EDM turning using a strip electrode

•A new EDM turning using a strip electrode was developed.•Since the strip was fed continuously, the electrode wear was not a concern.•Normal, taper and index turning modes were realized on the rod workpiece.•Compared with wire EDM turning, the new method resulted in high material removal rate and better surface roughness.

Turning by electrical discharge machining (EDM turning) is an effective method to machine hard-to-cut materials. Generally, a wire-EDM is utilized in EDM turning because it is not concerned with electrode wear. However, wire-EDM turning has a slow machining speed due to its small machining area, and the wire may break due to overheating electrodes. For these reasons, its machining speed must be limited. In this study, a strip-EDM was created in an effort to overcome the problems in the EDM-turning process. This machining method used a conductive strip as an electrode. The strip was fed continuously, like a wire-EDM; therefore electrode wear was not a concern. One advantage of the strip-EDM was that it increased the material removal rate because of its large machining area and non-breaking electrode. In the experiments, machining characteristics were investigated according to machining conditions, and practical machining was carried out via fabrication of complex shapes on a shaft workpiece.