Electro Chemical Discharge Machining (ECDM) of AL6061/SiC (10%) MMC

To successfully compete in today's global market, there is a dire need of rapid product development reducing the lead-time between the designs of the product to its arrival in the market. Engineering Composite Materials are gradually becoming very important material for their scope and use in advance manufacturing industries due to their high fatigue strength, thermal shock resistance, high strength to weight ratio etc. However machining of advance composites like Aluminium Matrix with Silicon Carbide reinforced particulates is very difficult by utilizing conventional machining method. Hence, it is essential for searching an advanced non-conventional machining method which may help to machining such composite. To meet the requirement of micro machining of such important material, it is essential to develop a new machining method. For effective machining of AL6061/SiC (10%) composite, an electrochemical discharge machining (ECDM) has been developed. The developed ECDM has been utilized to machine holes on AL6061/SiC (10%)-MMC and subsequently test results which are utilized to analyse the developed ECDM set up performance characteristic.