Coefficient of friction of cemented carbides machined by sinking EDM

Cemented carbides possess properties that predestine them as a durable tool. However, these properties hinder conventional machining, which is why Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) is a promising alternative. Three different EDMed cemented carbides were compared with a ground surface in a pin-on-disk test setup. They were evaluated under dry and lubricated conditions with two distinct antibody materials. The tests did not reveal a correlation between the surface roughness of the cemented carbide pins and the coefficient of friction. However, some test sets yielded very different results, which is why particular considerations should be made with new sliding compositions.