Experimental investigation of energy distribution in continuous sinking EDM

Investigations into the fundamentals of the EDM process are often facing significant challenges due to the very small spatial and temporal scales in which it takes place. This also applies to the research on the distribution of the electrical energy of the discharges. This paper presents a novel method for the detailed experimental analysis of the energy distribution in continuous sinking EDM processes. For this purpose, sophisticated measurement methods for temperatures and electrical quantities were combined. Thus, the experimental setup was very close to realistic process conditions. The results of the obtained temperature profiles and the derived energy distribution are presented followed by variations of process parameters and a critical discussion to explain deviations.