Reducing the Number of CFD Computer Experiments by Use of Latin Hypercube Design and Kriging Regression on the Example of Side Flushing in Sinking EDM

The continuous development in the tool and mould making and aero-space industry requires advanced materials which are processed specifically by electrical discharge machining (EDM). The removal of debris from the working gap is of utmost importance to prevent arcing and short circuits, causing higher tool wear and lower material removal rates. Besides passive flushing, manually aligned side flushing nozzles are used in practice to ensure sufficient flushing in deep or large-scale cavities. This paper presents an approach of combining numerical simulations and statistical methods to reduce the number of required computer experiments and calculate optimized side flushing configurations for maximized volume flows. As a result, the number of simulations required to investigate a large range of parameters was reduced by a factor of 10⁶, allowing 10⁸ more combinations to be investigated. The results showed good conformity in terms of increased experimental material removal rate at configurations with increased simulated volume flows.