EDM is required for:

• Tight tolerances
• Difficult to Machine or Hard Materials
• Difficult geometry and/or 3D shapes
• Burr Free Manufacturing
• Low stress on materials

Able Wire EDM has customized sub-micron plunge EDM capabilities as well as 25 micron Wire EDM capability. Wire EDM is process whereby a wire typically .006 inch to .008 inch in diameter is electrically charged at a very high voltage and used to cut precision shapes in prismatic components. The wire is passes from one spool to another and is guided by and an upper and lower guide as it cuts. There are numerous advantages to wire EDM machining such as the ability to cut very precisely, cut nearly square internal corners and cut tapers that would be virtually impossible to cut otherwise. For example, the upper guide and lower guide can move independently thus cutting one geometric pattern on tap of a part and another geometry on the bottom of the part. Wire EDM machines are CNC controlled. Wire EDM machining is typically performed by machine shops.

Wire EDM is a method to cut conductive materials with a thin electrode that follows a programmed path. The electrode is a thin wire. Typical diameters range from .004"-.012" although smaller and larger diameters are available. The hardness of the work piece material has no detrimental effect on the cutting speed. There is no physical contact between the wire and the part being machined. Rather, the wire is charged to a voltage very rapidly. This wire is surrounded by deionized water. When the voltage reaches the correct level, a spark jumps the gap and melts a small portion of the work piece. The deionized water cools and flushes away the small particles from the gap.

The CNC machine can independently move four machines axes to generate taper cuts. A stamping die can be machined with 1/4 degree taper or a mold with one degree taper in some areas and two degrees in another with precision. Extrusion dies can be cut with the taper constantly changing. For example, a detailed shape on the top of the work piece can transition to a simple circle on the bottom.

Wire EDM can be accurate to +/-.0001". No burrs are generated. Since no cutting forces are present, wire EDM is ideal for delicate parts. No tooling is required so delivery times are short. Pieces over 16" thick can be machined. Tools and parts are machined after heat treatment so dimensional accuracy is held and not affected by heat treat distortion.

Small hole edm is a specialized component of electrical discharge machining. A small hollow electrode spins about a spindle much like a drill and drill bit (edm drill). The electrode is electrically charged by a servo-controlled generator producing the spark. Water based dielectric flushes through and around the electrode providing a controlled environment for the spark to jump to the work piece. The electric spark erodes the surface of the work piece creating very small pockets. Eventually millions and millions of these microscopic pockets create the small hole. The size of the hole is controlled by the diameter of the electrode. The location and depth of the holes are driven by CNC ISO codes, reducing and eliminating operator error. Machines shown have automatic electrode changers for unattended machining.

Applications
Small hole edm is in many ways similar to a drilling operation but it offers the advantages of edm. Very low machining and work piece hardness are not barriers to performance.

What is EDM?
A Brief History: The acronym EDM is derived from Electrical Discharge Machining.
The EDM process we know today started with the observations of Joseph Preistly in 1770. He noticed that electrical discharges had removed material from the electrodes in his experiments. This is also known as electro-discharge erosion.

In the 1940's Soviet researchers developed a machining process that formed the foundation for modern EDM.

Charmilles introduced their spark erosion machine at the 1955 European Machine Tool Exhibition in Milan.

Features of the Wire EDM Process

• Low work holding forces
• Low cutting forces
• Very accurate process tolerances held +/- 0.0001"
• Complex profile capability
• No tool wear (the wire is continually replenished)
• Environmentally friendly (by products are easily recycled)
• Hardened materials are easily machined

Spark Properties

Spark temperatures are between 8,000 and 12,000 degrees C (plasma zone)
The range of the sparks varies from a few microns to 1 mm
Controlled by the generator and are adjustable for different material types and desired surface finishes

Conventional machining produces high cutting forces, requiring high work holding forces, cutting fluids, high temperatures at the work

Electric Discharge Machining
The basic EDM process is really quite simple. An electrical spark is created between an electrode and a work piece. The spark is visible evidence of the flow of electricity. This electric spark produces intense heat with temperatures reaching 8000 to 12000 degrees Celsius, melting almost anything. The spark is very carefully controlled and localized so that it only affects the surface of the material. The EDM process usually does not affect the heat treat below the surface. With wire EDM the spark always takes place in the dielectric of deionized water. The conductivity of the water is carefully controlled making an excellent environment for the EDM process. The water acts as a coolant and flushes away the eroded metal particles.

Wire Cutting

EDM wire cutting uses a metallic wire to cut a programmed contour in a workpiece. Extrusion dies and blanking punches are very often machined by wire cutting. Cutting is always through the entire workpiece. To start machining it is first necessary to drill a hole in the workpiece or start from the edge. On the machining area, each discharge creates a crater in the workpiece and an impact on the tool. The wire can be inclined, thus making it possible to make parts with taper or with different profiles at the top and bottom. There is never any mechanical contact between the electrode and workpiece (see above). The wire is usually made of brass or stratified copper, and is between 0.1 and 0.3 mm diameter.

Depending on the accuracy and surface finish needed a part will either be one cut or it will be roughed and skimmed. On a one cut the wire ideally passes through a solid part and drops a slug or scrap piece when it is done. This will give adequate accuracy for some jobs but most of the time skimming is necessary. A skim cut is where the wire is passed back over the roughed surface again with a lower power setting and low pressure flush. There can be from one to nine skim passes depending on the accuracy and surface finish required. Usually there are just two skim passes. A skim pass can remove as much as 0.002" of material or a as little as 0.0001". During roughing ( i.e. the first cut) the water is forced into the cut at high pressure in order to provide plenty of cooling and eliminate eroded particles as fast as possible. During skimming (accuracy / finish cuts) the water is gently flowed over the burn so as not to deflect the wire.