CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic) is a composite material formed using carbon fibers and epoxy resin matrices. It has low productivity and suffers from machining defects during precision machining. Laser machining of CFRP is associated with the problem of heat damage to the epoxy resin. EDM of CFRP can process various shapes with a shaped tool, however it has a lower material removal rate compared to laser, and the non-conductive epoxy resin layer on the surface must be removed before EDM processing. In this study, we have proposed a laser EDM hybrid machining in which CFRP was pre-processed with a laser and then post-processed by EDM. The laser pre-processing conditions were selected by adjusting the laser power and the number of repetitions to minimize thermal damage. According to EDM conditions, the size of the thermal damage area occurring in the epoxy resin, the change in the side gap, and the change in the processing time were investigated. Using the hybrid processing, micro-holes with a diameter of 150 μm were machined, and square-shaped micro-holes were also machined. To improve productivity, a multi-tool capable of processing four square shapes was manufactured, and multi-processing was performed.

In this study, a wire electrical discharge milling electrode was developed, and electric discharge machining characteristics were studied by using the electrode. The wire electrical discharge milling electrode is a form, in which the wire is conveyed by using a cylindrical rod with a hemispherical end as a guide, and it also rotates in one direction around the guide axis. If the wire electrical discharge milling electrode is used in electrical discharge machining (EDM), there is no need to consider electrode wear compensation. The EDM characteristics according to capacitance of the RC circuit and the rotational speed of the wire electrical discharge milling electrode were examined. The machining conditions were selected, and a hemispherical shape with good shape accuracy and fine surface finish was fabricated in two stages of roughing and finishing. By applying the wire electrical discharge milling electrode to the electric discharge milling process, straight and curved shapes were successfully machined.

CFRP (Carbon fiber reinforced plastic) has been widely used in different industries such as aerospace, automobile, sports and medical. Laser processing of CFRP has a great potential for industrial applications. In this paper researched the micro cutting and drilling of CFRP with 0.5 mm thickness using 1064 nm ytterbium nanosecond pulsed fiber laser. It also investigated machining characteristics of micro cutting and drilling according to laser power, frequency, scan speed and number of scan (or irradiation). Complete cutting and through-hole drilling were achieved with low frequency when the laser power was low and with low and middle frequency when the laser power increased. However, those were not achieved a frequency of 100 kHz. The cutting width increased when the power increased and decreased when the frequency and the scan speed increased. The hole size increased when the power and the number of irradiation increased and decreased when the frequency increased. In the case of micro hole array, the hole was blocked during the next hole machining when the hole spacing was narrow. The resin was melted by the heat thus blocking the pre-drilled hole. We devised the laser scan method, and the micro hole array with narrow hole spacing was fabricated successfully.

Laser beam machining (LBM) using nanosecond pulsed laser is widely known to be rapid and non-wear process for micromachining. However, the quality itself cannot meet the precision standard due to the recast layer and heat affected zone. In this paper, a fabrication method for machining micro features in stainless steel using a hybrid process of LBM using nanosecond pulsed laser and electrochemical etching (ECE) is reported. ECE uses non-contacting method for precise surface machining and selectively removes the recast layer and heat affected zone produced by laser beam in an effective way. Compared to the single LBM process, the hybrid process of LBM and ECE enhanced the quality of the micro features.

Since polycrystalline diamond (PCD) has high hardness like diamond, it has been used as tool material for lathe and milling of non-ferrite material. A micro tool fabricated from PCD material can be used for micro machining of hard material such as tungsten carbide, glass, and ceramics. In this paper, micro PCD tools were fabricated by micro EDM (electrical discharge machining) and used for micro grinding of glass. Craters generated on the tool surface by EDM spark work as like grits in grinding process. The effects of tool shapes, tool roughness and PCD grain size were investigated. Also studied was a hybrid process combining electrochemical discharge machining (ECDM) and micro grinding for micro-structuring of glass.

Electrical discharge drilling (ED-drilling) is a widespread machining method used to bore small holes with a high aspect ratio. This paper presents additional methods by which ED-drilling can improve machining speed, tool wear, and machined surface quality. Firstly, for high machining speed, and low tool wear, a new-type electrode that was ground on one side or both sides of the cylindrical electrodes was suggested to expel debris. The debris which is generated during the machining process can cause sludge deposition and secondary discharge problems: major reasons to decrease machining speed. This new-type electrode also reduced tool wear that was due to the decrease of unstable discharge in a machining gap by helping to expel waste water and debris from the gap. Secondly, to improve the machined surface roughness, an electrolyzation process was included after drilling. This process made the machined surface smooth by means of an electrochemical reaction between an electrode and a workpiece. In this study, the machining speed, electrode wear, and surface roughness were improved by the newtype electrode and the electrolytic process.

Although nanosecond pulsed laser drilling and milling are rapid and non-wear processes in micromachining, the quality cannot meet the precision standard due to the recast layer and heat affected zone. On the other hand, electrical discharge machining (EDM) is a well-known high precision machining process in micro scale; however, the low material removal rate (MRR) and tool wear remain as drawbacks. In this paper, hybrid process of laser beam machining (LBM) using nanosecond pulsed laser and micro EDM was studied for micro drilling and milling. While the quality of the micro structure fabricated by this hybrid process remains as high as direct EDM, the machining time and tool wear can be reduced. In addition, variable depth of layer was introduced as an effective method improving efficiency of hybrid milling.

In this study, a simple and effective method was proposed to minimize electrolytic corrosion on the workpiece during ED-drilling using water as a working fluid. The adhesion of a cover plate onto the surface of the workpiece was greatly effective for suppressing electrolytic corrosion during ED-drilling. The experiment revealed that the adhesion of the cover plate prevented corrosion without causing significant changes in machining characteristics. Using the machining method proposed in this paper, electrolytic-corrosion-free holes can be machined without change in the machinery system. By using corrosion-free hole as a start hole for wire EDM, a lead frame die with high quality was fabricated successfully.

In this paper, micro electrical discharge milling using deionized water as dielectric fluid was investigated. In EDM, dielectric fluid is an important factor which affects machining characteristics. When deionized water was used as dielectric fluid, machining characteristics were investigated according to voltage, capacitance, and resistivity of deionized water. Machining gap increased with increasing voltage and capacitance. As the resistivity of deionized water decreased, the machining gap increased. The wear of a tool electrode and machining time can be reduced by using deionized water instead of EDM oil. Surface roughness was also improved when deionized water was used.