Computer simulation and characteristic analysis of electrode fluctuation in wire electric discharge machining

In wire electric discharge machining, the vibration of the wire electrode has a significant influence on the performance and stability of the machining process. A method of computer simulation has been adopted in this paper to study the vibration of the wire electrode under the action of successive discharges, by which the effect of wire fluctuation on the distribution of the discharge points is also analysed. The result shows that the discharge points can be distributed much more evenly along the span of the wire when an optimum condition is reached between discharge energy, discharge frequency, wire tension and wire span. Under such a condition, it is possible that the hazard of wire breaking can be avoided.