WEDM Errors in Straight and Arced Paths: Analysis of Spark Angles on the Roughing and Finishing Stages

Wire Electrical Discharge Machining (WEDM) is known as an advanced manufacturing process, especially for producing delicate and intricate shapes and cutting difficult-to-cut materials. Machining error on is an important problem associated with this process. The current paper investigates experimentally the machining errors of three-stage WEDM on the small straight and arced paths. To reveal the reason behind these errors and to compensate them, residual materials of each cutting stage on the straight and arced corner paths were separately measured and analyzed. Machining errors of each WEDM stage in both paths were accurately considered and the causes of these errors in the straight and small arced paths were experimentally and theoretically determined and discussed. Experiments showed that the roughing stage has such a serious deteriorating influence the machining errors on the arced paths that it cannot be compensated in the following finishing stages. The spark angle domains of the roughing stage on the arced paths were calculated and the effects of these domains on the machining errors due to wire diversion from the programmed path were analyzed. In addition, this research proposes a novel guide in multi-stage WEDM by defining some machining concepts and developing equations for error calculation of WEDM finishing stages on these paths. The machining errors estimated by equations have consistency with the related experimental ones. of this study can be employed in the accurate WEDM cuttings.