Signal Analysis on a Single Board Computer for Process Characterisation in Sinking Electrical Discharge Machining

Due to its stochastic nature and complex interdependencies maintaining overall process stability and efficiency are challenges in electrical discharge machining (EDM). Extensive research is necessary to further understand the underlying physical phenomena. A signal analysis of gap voltage and discharge current enables the detection of certain gap phenomena and offers a deeper insight into the EDM process. However, resulting from discharge frequencies in the upper kilohertz range the sampling of the signals results in large amounts of data. To reduce this data, this paper presents signal analysis methods implemented on a single-board-computer to offer a cost effective and efficient way of characterising sinking EDM processes. With these analysis methods EDM processes are characterised regarding discharge energies and occurrence of different discharge phenomena. The findings presented in this paper give a deeper insight into the sinking EDM process.