A high-efficiency approach for fabricating mass micro holes by batch micro EDM

This work is a follow-up study based on previous research. The study presents a novel approach for effective production of mass micro holes. Initially, a set of micro w-EDM mechanisms is designed and mounted on the developed precise tabletop CNC machine tool to fabricate the micro electrode array. The tension of the micro wire is precisely controlled by a magnetic force. Furthermore, micro vibrations of the wire during discharging are effectively suppressed by the developed vibration suppression system. To fabricate the mass micro holes, a microstructure array with a high-aspect ratio of 10 × 10 micro squared electrodes, width and height of 21 νm and 700 νm, respectively, for each electrode and 24 νm spacing between two electrodes is fabricated first by using the proposed 'reverse w-EDM' machining strategy. The electrodes array is directly utilized to drill the mass micro holes by bath micro EDM on the same machine. An array of 900 through-holes of the same size is successfully fabricated via the modified peck-drilling method on a 30 νm thick stainless-steel plate. A tip at the free end of the micro electrode is designed and fabricated as a circular-pyramid shape. Experimental results verified that the spiky end form eliminates debris adhering to the edges of the micro holes. Analytical results demonstrate satisfactory hole geometric accuracy, dimensional accuracy and surface roughness. Furthermore, mass micro holes can be fabricated efficiently using the proposed technique.