Electrical Discharge Machining of Aluminum Metal Matrix Composites- A Review

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is the process of machining electrically conductive materials by using precisely controlled sparks that occur between an electrode and a work piece in the presence of a dielectric fluid. Aluminium metal matrix composites (AMMCs) refer to the class of light weight high performance aluminum ceramic material systems. The reinforcement in AMMCs could be in the form of continuous / discontinuous fibers, whiskers or particulates, in volume fractions ranging from a few percent to 70%. These materials are extensively used in industry. Greater hardness and reinforcement makes it difficult to machine using traditional techniques, which has impeded the development of AMMCs. These materials can be machined by many non traditional methods like water jet and laser cutting but these processes are limited to linear cutting only. This paper presents a review of research work related to electrical discharge machining process of aluminium metal matrix composites (AMMCs).