The electrical discharge machining (EDM) process performance depends on maintaining an appropriate machining gap with a servo system and discharge pulse parameters with a pulse power generator. The integration of the state-of-the-art monitoring and control technologies can substantially improve the performance of the EDM process. This paper reviews the research and development of advanced monitoring and control systems for die-sinking EDM and wire EDM during the last two decades. Important research activities include different EDM gap monitoring systems, servo and pulse adaptive control systems, and knowledge base control systems.

Issue Section:
Nontraditional Processes
Topics:
Control systems, Electrical discharge machining, Servomechanisms, Adaptive control, Generators, Industrial research, Machining, Monitoring systems, Wire
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