A comparative investigation of micro-EDM drilling capability for Ti-6Al-4V alloy against austenitic stainless steel SUS 316

Micro-EDM is a versatile technique used to machining electrically conductive materials to make components. The present study aims to investigate the feasibility of machining deep microholes in two difficult-to-cut materials using the micro-EDM drilling: Ti-6Al-4V and austenitic stainless steel (SUS 316). Due to the higher thermal conductivity, SUS 316 was found to produce good surface quality at the rims, and produce less burr-free. In case of MRR, the SUS 316 exhibited better machinability than Ti-6Al-4V alloy, and it consumed less amount of electrode materials.