Abstract To improve the electrical discharge machining (EDM) ablation efficiency of superalloy Inconel718 and enhance the post-ablation surface quality of the superalloy, the multi-channel discharge ablation milling experiments with Inconel718 were performed using a new method of multi-channel discharge ablation. The results show that the number of discharge channels was random in the multi-channel discharge ablation process. In a pulse discharge cycle, with an increase in discharge channels, the voltage waveform decreased stepwise while the current waveform rose stepwise. Compared with EDM ablation, the material removal rate (MRR) of Inconel718 with multi-channel discharge ablation increased by 73.7%, as the total loop current of multi-channel discharge ablation increased. In addition, as the multi-channel discharge dispersed the discharge energy, the surface roughness of the workpiece decreased by 14.6%, surface micro-cracks decreased, and recast layer thickness decreased.
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