ABSTRACT
The conventional manufacturing processes in use today for material removal primarily rely on electric motors and carbide tool materials to perform tasks such as sawing, drilling, milling, turning, broaching, and so on. The nontraditional manufacturing processes may be applied to: Increase productivity either by reducing the number of overall manufacturing operations needed to produce a product or by performing operations faster than the previously used method. Reduce the number of rejects experienced by the old manufacturing method by increasing repeatability, reducing in-process breakage of fragile workpieces, or minimizing detrimental effects on workpiece properties. The nontraditional processes will be grouped into four sections according to the type of energy source they utilize: electrical, mechanical, thermal, and chemical/electrochemical. High accuracy and fine surface finishes are obtainable and make wire- electrical discharge machining (EDM) particularly valuable in the manufacture of stamping dies, extrusion dies, dies for powder metal compaction, prototype parts and even for the fabrication of conventional EDM electrodes.
