ABSTRACT
In the thermoelectric-based non-conventional machining method known as micro-electric discharge machining (µ-EDM), electrical energy is employed to produce the sparks, and material removal occurs as a result of the workpiece's thermal erosion. The principle includes the creation of an electric discharge, the establishment of a plasma channel, the generation of extremely high temperatures at extremely high pressures, and the removal of material via melting and vaporization. It is essential to model this process to comprehend the process and identify the effect of various process variables. A finite element analysis (FEA) of the µ-EDM process is carried out using the commercial software COMSOL Multiphysics® to investigate the plasma channel formation at the minimum inter-electrode gap (IEG) and the influence of machining parameters such as discharge energy on material erosion. This chapter comprises two different sections. In the first section, the fundamentals of the µ-EDM process are stated to understand the material removal mechanism, process variables, variants with process capabilities, and applications which helps to gain ideas for developing µ-EDM models. The second section presents a comprehensive numerical analysis of the µ-EDM process including electrostatics and electrothermal simulation.
