Study on thinning of a boron-doped polycrystalline diamond wheel-tool by micro rotary w-EDM approach

This study presents a novel approach for using a micro rotary wire Electrical Discharge Machining (micro w-EDM) to thin the grinding-edge of a wheel-tool made from boron-doped polycrystalline composite diamond (PCD). For thinning the PCD, two discharge circuits (a Resistance-Capacitance (RC) circuit and a transistor) were used as power sources to obtain a grinding-edge of less than 10 μm in thickness and high surface quality. The wheel-blank is vertically mounted on a spindle and while rotating is thinned by micro w-EDM along a planned computer numerically controlled path. Experimental results verify that boron-doped PCD can be successfully thinned down to 5 μm in edge-thickness. The study shows it is possible to break (cut) diamonds of 10-μm grain size, leaving smooth surface-exposed diamonds at the cutting edge of the wheel tool. The dimensional and geometrical accuracy of the wheel-tool can be exactly controlled. Raman analysis reveals graphitizing of the PCD caused by local high temperature spark erosion at a peak of 1593 cm^-1 in RC discharge circuit machining. The peak at 1332 cm^-1 for the transistor circuit method indicates diamond sp³ structure. The surface degenerating layer produced by transistor circuit machining gives a suitably thin grinding edge with exposed diamond grains.