Recent advancement in EDM

Name:Thakor Darshan V.

Reg no:11009795

EDM Introduction

• EDM fullform is Electrical Discharge machining

• EDM is a manufacturing process whereby a desired shape is obtained using electrical discharges (sparks).

• Material is removed from the work piece by a series of rapidly recurring current discharges between two electrodes.

Working of EDM

Working of EDM

• A series of voltage pulses of magnitude about 20 to 120 V and frequency on the order of 5 kHz is applied between the two electrodes, which are separated by a small gap, typically 0.01 to 0.5 mm.

• Two electrodes are separated by a dielectric liquid which helps to carry away the removed material.

Wire EDM

Wire EDM

• Wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM), also known as wire-cut EDM and wire cutting, a thin single-strand metal wire, usually brass, is fed through the work piece, submerged in a tank of dielectric fluid, typically deionized water.

• During the last several years much of the technology advancements have been in power supply and software technology to increase both cutting speeds and surface integrity.

Wire EDM

• Power supplies can now support the use of specialized wires larger than 0.012" as well as new wire coatings such as zinc alloys.

• Now, wire EDM equipment is capable of better finishes, more accuracy, and virtually no-recast. Changes in the wire EDM market have been refined, squeezing out every micron of a machine’s capability to increase productivity

Wire EDM

• FANUC has designed controls with the ability to monitor electrical usage and manage the use of its components more efficiently, powering down certain electrical components that are not needed, thus saving overall electrical consumption by up to 20%. Interfaces are also improving ease-of-operation with larger LCD touch screen and streamlined menu keys.

• Automation control systems have evolved to the point where wire EDM operators can machine parts of different sizes with one setup. Expanding the number of possible unattended operations allows manufacturers to maximize operating times without increasing laborcosts, which has a positive effect on the bottom line.

Die Sinker EDM

Die Sinker EDM

• Sinker EDM, also called cavity type EDM or volume EDM, consists of an electrode and work piece submerged in an insulating liquid such as, oil or less frequently other dielectric fluids. The electrode and work piece are connected to a suitable power supply.

• There have recently been breakthroughs in the spark eroding process for some die sinker EDMs, which increases cutting speeds and dramatically reduces electrode wear during roughing and finishing cuts, resulting in medical parts that are more accurate.

Micro-EDM

Micro-EDM

• about 100 µm to about 10 mm in size

• contain very complex 3-D(free-form) surfaces

• employ a wide range of engineering materials

• possess extremely high relative accuracies

• Physical characteristics such as hardness, brittleness dose not affect the process.

A Look Ahead

• More and more manufacturers, not only in medical but throughout a wide variety of manufacturing industries, are exploring automation to reduce the labor costs and increase spindle run times.

• EDM technology will continue to evolve with more automated solutions to reduce labor. Automating the process, improving the software to allow for a diverse work load, both in material types and workpiece sizes, is where manufacturers will be focusing their time on refining the integration of robots.

THANK YOU