ARTICLE IN PRESS

International Journal of Machine Tools & Manufacture 49 (2009) 1029–1034

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International Journal of Machine Tools & Manufacture

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ijmactool

Short Communication

Virtual EDM simulator: Three-dimensional geometric simulation of

micro-EDM milling processes
Segon Heo a, Young Hun Jeong b, Byung-Kwon Min a,, Sang Jo Lee a
a
School of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Republic of Korea
b
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Polytechnic University, Siheung, Gyeonggi 429-793, Republic of Korea

a r t i c l e in fo abstract

Article history: In this paper a three-dimensional geometric simulation method of micro-EDM milling processes is
Received 26 May 2009 proposed, which introduces a Z-map algorithm to precisely represent the geometries of a machined
Received in revised form workpiece and the evolution of the tool shape caused by tool wear during the machining. The micro-
6 July 2009
EDM milling process is mathematically and geometrically modeled. In order to verify the performance
Accepted 7 July 2009
of the developed simulator, an actual square cavity is machined and compared to the simulation result.
Available online 16 July 2009
The developed EDM simulator can be used for tool path generation for tool wear compensation as well
Keywords: as for prediction of tool wear.
Z-map & 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Micromachining
Process simulation
Virtual machining

1. Introduction geometry of the machined surface is precisely simulated

Virtual machining generally refers to a type of simulation that
provides detailed process information such as machined surface
geometry and cutting force. Although there has been substantial
amount of research on virtual machining processes, only few
studies have reported on the simulation of electrical discharge
machining (EDM). In EDM processes, similar surface generation
simulation using a geometric approach for mechanical milling
may be applicable. On the other hand, in the micro-EDM process,
the tool wear is severe, which dramatically deteriorates the
machining accuracy [1]. Therefore, new model components are
required to simulate tool wear and material removal in EDM
processes.
Most of the literature on the geometric simulation of EDM
processes deals with die-sinking [2–5] and wire-EDM processes
[6]. Recently, we have proposed a two-dimensional geometric
simulation model of micro-EDM drilling processes [7]. Our model
used a two-dimensional matrix to geometrically represent a tool
and a workpiece, and various simulation parameters were taken
into account. The simulation results were applied to the predic-
tion of tool wear and the compensation of tool wear in the case of
machining a blind hole.
In this paper, we extend our geometric simulation scheme to
micro-EDM milling process by employing a Z-map algorithm. The
 Corresponding author.
E-mail address: bkmin@yonsei.ac.kr (B.-K. Min).
considering the path, feedrate, rotation, and shape of the
tool electrode and other machining parameters such as material
properties, electrical power, and pulse frequency. The tool
geometry evolution due to the tool wear is calculated by using
an interaction model between the tool and the workpiece. Unlike
the previous two-dimensional geometric simulation dealing with
only axisymmetric geometries, the proposed micro-EDM simu-
lator enables the simulation of machining three-dimensional
features. The proposed simulator provides three-dimensional
graphical results and animations as well as calculated process
data.
2. EDM milling process model
In this study, a micro-EDM milling process with a cylindrical
tool considering tool wear is geometrically simulated in three-
dimensional space. EDM is a complex material removal process
that is affected by a variety of parameters such as open-circuit
voltage, discharge current, spark duty/frequency, tool and work-
piece materials, and dielectric fluid. However, in a geometric
simulation, material removal is calculated not by process physics
but by the crater shape generated by every spark event. Therefore,
the modeling of sparking behavior is a crucial part of geometric
simulation. The proposed simulator is composed of three steps:
(1) calculation of tool elements positions, (2) search of spark
points, and (3) removal of the material. These steps are repeated

0890-6955/$ - see front matter & 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.ijmachtools.2009.07.005
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until the simulation of the EDM process is over. The rest of this
section deals with details of the developed simulation model.
In general, micro-EDM milling is applied by two strategies:
peripheral milling and face milling. The peripheral milling
especially has the problems of severe radial tool wear and
frequent appearance of short circuit. Therefore, in this study, only
face milling is studied. A Z-map algorithm is used for defining a
geometric model. The tool and the workpiece have independent
Z-maps with the same-sized square elements. The Z-maps of the
tool and the workpiece represent the configurations of the bottom
surface of the tool and the top surface of the workpiece during the
machining, respectively.
A CNC part program is used for describing the tool path and the
feedrate. The model also considers the rotation of a cylindrical
tool. The relative position between the tool and the workpiece
elements is used for determining the sparking points and for
determining whether the short circuit occurs. Relative positions of
all tool elements with respect to the workpiece are changed
at each simulation step because the tool is rotating and moving.
Fig. 1 shows the three-dimensional geometric model, and how the
tool element positions are determined in the workpiece
coordinate (i.e. absolute coordinate). As shown in this figure,
tool position implies the position of the central point of the tool
Z-map in the workpiece coordinate, and this is determined
by the tool path, feedrate, and simulation step time. The actual
spark frequency during machining is less than maximum spark
frequency that is determined by the discharge circuit
characteristics. Therefore, the simulation step time Dt is
determined as the inverse of the maximum spark frequency f, as
follows:
1
Dt ¼ ð1Þ
f
The origin in tool coordinate is the same as the tool
position. The orientation of the tool coordinate is not changed,
while the tool Z-map is rotated at each simulation step. Therefore,
the positions of the tool elements in the workpiece coordinate
are determined from the combination of the tool position
and the relative positions of the tool elements to the tool position
at each simulation step.
Material is removed at the spark points. In this simulation,
spark points indicate a pair of elements having the shortest
distance between the electrode and the workpiece elements
within the gap width, which is the maximum distance between
the tool and the workpiece to enable the spark occurrence. Gap

Element [i, j] position

In tool coordinate: (Eij_x(t1), Eij_y(t1))
In workpiece coordinate:
y (TX(t1)+Eij_x(t1), TY(t1)+Eij_y(t1), TZ(t1))

Eij_y(t1) [i,j]
x
Eij_x(t1) Tool coordinate
Tool Z-map
TZ(t1)

TX(t1) Tool position

In workpiece coordinate:
Z (TX(t1), TY(t1), TZ(t1))
Y TY(t1)

X
Workpiece Workpiece Z-map
coordinate

Time: t1

Tool movement & rotation

Eij_y(t2) [i,j]
x
Eij_x(t2)
Z
(TX(t2), TY(t2), TZ(t2))
Y
X

Time: t2

Fig. 1. Determination of the positions of tool and tool elements.

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S. Heo et al. / International Journal of Machine Tools & Manufacture 49 (2009) 1029–1034 1031

width depends on both open-circuit voltage and dielectric
fluid [8]. In this study, the gap width is experimentally
determined. To determine the spark points, a pair of elements
having the shortest distance between the tool and the workpiece
is searched. Based on geometric relation between the tool and
the workpiece, short-circuit condition is checked. Then, if the
calculated distance is greater than the gap width at a simulation
step, the spark does not occur at the simulation step, and thus the
material is not removed. When multiple pairs have the same
shortest distance, the spark points are randomly selected.
In EDM processes, material removal is completed by generat-
ing craters on both the tool and the workpiece at the spark points.
The assumption used in the material removal model is that
material removal volume by a single spark and volumetric tool
wear ratio (VTWR) are constant under the same machining
condition. The VTWR is defined as removed tool volume per
machined workpiece volume during machining [1].
The volume of a single crater on the workpiece is determined
experimentally. Fig. 2(a) shows an image of an actual crater on the
workpiece produced by single discharge and its cross-sectional
profile measured by an atomic force microscope. To model
the material removal a simplified crater geometry as shown in
Fig. 2(b) is used. The material removal volume of the workpiece
per spark Vw is calculated by Eqs. (2)–(4). Vc, Vr, R, D, W, and H are
the volume of the crater part, volume of the rim, radius
of the crater part, depth of the crater part from the surface,
radius of the rim, and the height of the rim from the surface,
respectively. The crater shape in the simulation is assumed to be a

5.0 µm

5µm

1
Height (µm)

-1

-2
0 5 10 15 20
Width (µm)

R
H

D W

Fig. 2. Single crater on the workpiece: (a) AFM image and cross-sectional profile of the crater; (b) Model of the crater shape.
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hemisphere having the volume calculated in Eq. (4) without the a white light scanning interferometer (NV 6300, Zygo). To evaluate
rim: the accuracy of the proposed virtual EDM simulator, the cross-
p sectional profile of the machined workpiece is compared to the
Vc ¼ Dð3R2 þ D2 Þ ð2Þ
6 simulation result. As seen in the figure, the results match well
( )
with the experimental result.
 
ðW 2 þ H2 Þ2 1 2WH ðW 3  WH2 Þ In order to measure the tool wear after machining conveni-
Vr ¼ 2pðR þ WÞ sin  ð3Þ
4H2 W 2 þ H2 2H ently and accurately, a micro-ruler is engraved using a focused ion
beam (FIB; SMI 3050, SII NanoTechnology) on the surface of the
Vw ¼ Vc  Vr ð4Þ initial tool. The inset of Fig. 5 shows the FIB image of the initial
state of the tool electrode with the micro-ruler pattern on it. Fig. 5
compares the experimental and simulation results of the tool
Because it is difficult to measure the crater volume on the tool, wear. As can be seen, the shortened length is approximately
the volume is calculated using the VTWR. Accordingly, as a result 36 mm and the shapes match well.
of measuring the volume of a crater on the workpiece and the
volumetric tool wear ratio, the volume of a crater on the tool Vt is
calculated as follows: 4. Conclusions
Vt ¼ Vw  VTWR ð5Þ
In this paper, a method for the three-dimensional geometric
simulation of a micro-EDM milling process was proposed in order
The crater generation on both the tool and the workpiece is to predict the machined geometry. A virtual machining concept
simulated as the removal of the elements as much as the crater
volumes Vt and Vw.
Table 1
Machining conditions for the experiment.

3. Verification of the simulation model Conditions Value

In order to verify the performance of the developed virtual Tool material Tungsten carbide
Workpiece material Copper
EDM simulator, a square pocket was fabricated by an actual layer-
Dielectric fluid material Kerosene-based mixture
by-layer machining, then its geometry was compared to its Tool diameter 96 mm
prediction from the simulator. Fig. 3 shows the tool path with Open-circuit voltage DC 100 V
dimensions applied to the machining experiment. A flattened Maximum spark frequency 2.5 kHz
Spark on-time 10 ms
cylindrical electrode with the diameter of 96 mm is used in
Feedrate 24.6 mm/s
machining. A commercial micro-EDM machine (SX-200, SARIX) Spindle speed 350 RPM
is used for experiment. Experimental conditions are summarized
in Table 1. Note that the maximum spark frequency and spark on-
time are the parameter values set in the system, and the actual
values during machining may be different. Simulation parameters
Table 2
determined from the machining parameters are presented in Simulation parameters.
Table 2.
Fig. 4(a) shows the 3D plot generated by the simulator. As can Parameters Value
be seen, the surface profile can be navigated at arbitrary angles,
Mesh size 0.5 mm
and the cross-section of the simulated surface can be evaluated. In
Tool diameter 96 mm
this simulation, the tool wear is not compensated. Therefore, the Sparking gap width 3.9 mm
machining error in depth direction increases as the milling Crater volume on the workpiece 21 mm3
progresses. As can be seen in the figure, the middle of the Volumetric tool wear ratio 0.11
Simulation step time 400 ms
shuttling tool path has a bigger error. The simulation result is
Feedrate 24.6 mm/s
compared to the real machined surface (without tool wear Spindle speed 350 RPM
compensation) in Fig. 4(b). The machined pocket is measured by

Fig. 3. Schematic configuration of the tool path applied to the machining experiment.
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-5
0

Depth (µm)
-10
-5

-10 700
600
-15 500
0 400
100 200 300 400 500 600 700
Width (µm)

4 Experimental result
2 Simulation result
0
-2
Depth (µm)

-4
-6
-8
-10
-12
-14
-16

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700

Width (µm)

Fig. 4. Workpiece surface generation simulation result: (a) Graphical cross-sectional view generated by simulator (solid line shows the contour of cross-section edge); (b)
Comparison of the real machined and the simulated surface profiles.

100

90

80
Length (µm)

70

60

50

40

30

0 20 40 60 80 100
Width (µm)

Fig. 5. Tool wear prediction simulation result compared to actual tool geometry (dotted line: simulation result; background: FIB image of tool used in experiment (scaled);
inset: fresh tool).
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was introduced in EDM that provides the simulated surface
geometries and tool wear through 3D graphics, animations, and
quantitative data. To verify the performance of the developed
virtual EDM simulator, a machining experiment was performed,
and the machined geometry was compared to the simulation
result. The results demonstrated that the virtual EDM simulator
successfully predicted the geometries of the workpiece and the
tool in the micro-EDM processes. The simulation results can be
used for optimizing parameters of actual machining, such as
electrical conditions and off-line tool path planning considering
tool wear compensation.
Acknowledgement
This work was partly supported by the Platform Technology
Development program of the Ministry of Knowledge Economy,
Republic of Korea.
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