Theory of Operation

EDM is a very different method of machining. It can be used to machine materials that are too hard for conventional machining, and can do things that are difficult for conventional machining such as make square inside corners. One limitation is that only electrically conductive materials can be machined. In its basic form and EDM consists of an electrically isolated head called a ram. The ram moves up and down and holds a cutting device called an Electrode. Ram electrodes are typically made out of Copper or Graphite and are manufactured to the shape of the material to be cut away. EDM cuts by spark erosion. The spark has a typical temperature of about 10,000 degrees centigrade. This basically vaporizes the work piece, and then the EDM oil solidifies the vapor and carries it away by means of flushing. Flushing can be accomplished by several means. Forcing EDM oil through the electrode or on the sides of the work piece is one method. Another method is to agitate the EDM ram or the work piece. The spark also causes the debris to moved away. Typically the Electrode and work piece are immersed in an oil that has characteristics suitable for EDM operation. These fluids are called EDM oils. Starting fires is a constant problem with EDM that use flammable oils, and oils that have high flashpoints are desirable. EDM oils that are non-toxic create a safer workplace and less employee sick leave. The electrode has to be precisely placed over the work piece, not only in the X and Y axis, but in the Z axis as well. The Z axis has to be positionable in the 10 thousandths of an inch range to control the spark, especially for fine surface finishing operations where the EDM electrode has to be very close to the work piece. The EDM works by generating a high frequency DC pulse, which is adjustable in frequency to provide optimal operation of no wear cycles, finishing, and difficult material erosion. In some cases agitation of the X and Y axes, aid in the improving the surface finish and in flushing operations. To optimize material removal, Microprocessors are used to do smart operations. The control unit has at minimum a need to detect if the EDM is sparking and to detect a voltage short where the head has come into physical contact with the work piece. It also needs to be able to move the ram up and down. A debris removal cycle sometimes needs to be done for particle removal especially in deep cavity sinking where flushing gets stuck and cannot get the machined away particles out of the cavity. Another Feature of the control unit is to allow in-process adjustment of parameters.

Abstract

Apart from the important role that Micromachining and Ultraprecision machining has provided to the development of improved or innovative miniaturised products, these techniques have also attracted the interest of the researchers to obtain the highest accuracy and a thorough analysis of the principles governing the material removing mechanisms. The present article exposes the theoretical analysis of some aspects of the thin WEDM that drop the process accuracy in terms of minimum machinable slot or corner over/undercutting. The scaled electrode dimensions and the reduced power supply with respect to the normal process causes a different influence of the process variables and contributes to obtain complementary information about the WEDM process. The different force components contributing to the wire deformation are discussed and some of them are analyzed from a theoretical point of view presenting analytical calculations to evaluate their expected magnitude and pointing out the difficulties to obtain an experimental characterisation of each phenomena.

Introduction CNC
Computer numerically controlled machine (CNC) tools form the basis of flexible manufacturing systems and computer integrated manufacturing systems. CNC machines make the most important means for CAD/CAM technologies today. In our tutor course, CNC programming of Sinumerik 840 D, Heidenhain TNC 310 and iTNC530 is supported mainly. These systems are widely used on over the world and know-how ho to use them for production of complex parts allows to our students to succeed in getting job in our country and abroad.

Introduction of Electric Discharge Machining (EDM)

Electric discharge machining (EDM) is a manufacturing process whereby a wanted shape of an object of workpiece is obtained using electrical discharges (sparks). The material removal from the workpiece occurs by a series of rapidly recurring current discharges between two electrodes, separated by adielectric liquid and subject to an electric voltage.

Introduction of EDM Die Sinking Machine

EDM die sinking machine consists of an electrode and workpiece that are submerged in an insulating liquid such oil or, less frequently, other dielectric fluids. The electrode and workpiece are connected to a suitable power supply. As the electrode approaches the workpiece, dielectric breakdown occurs in the fluid forming a plasma channel and a small spark jumps. These sparks usually strike one at a time because it is very unlikely that different locations in the inter-electrode space have the very identical local electrical charachetistics which would enable a spark to occur simultaneously in all such locations. The EDM die sinking process is most widely used by the mould-making tool and die industries, but is becoming a common method of making prototype and production parts, especially in the aerospace, automobile and electronics industries in which production quantities are relatively low.

HISTORY History Of CNC

The fundamentals of CNC machining trace to the end of the Second World War and the aircraft and missile project of the U.S. Force that could not be fulfil by conventional machining. Under contract to the U.S. Force the Parsons Corporation undertook a development on a flexible manufacturing system, designed to maximise productivity by emphasizing details required to achieve desired accuracies. The Parsons Corporation subcontracted a development of a control system for driving a slide lead screw through an interface as instructed by the output of a computer to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1952. The MIT met the challenge successfully and in 1952 demonstrated a Cincinnati Hydrotel milling machine equipped with the new technology, which was named Numerical Control (NC) and used a pre-punched tape as the input media. Since 1952, practically every machine tool manufacturer in the Western World has converted part or all of its product to NC.

History of EDM Machining

The history of EDM Machining techniques goes as far back as the 1770s when it was discovered by an English Scientist. However, Electrical Discharge Machining was not fully taken advantage of until 1943 when Russian scientists learned how the erosive effects of the technique could be controlled and used for machining purposes. When it was originally observed by Joseph Priestly in 1770, EDM Machining was very imprecise and riddled with failures. Commercially developed in the mid 1970s, wire EDM began to be a viable technique that helped shape the metalworking industry we see today. In the mid 1980s, the EDM techniques were transferred to a machine tool. This migration made EDM more widely available and appealing over traditional machining processes. Today, Wire EDM makes it possible to work with harder materials and metals while keeping the exactness of precision cutting.

History of Die Sinking

Two Russian scientists, B. R. Lazarenko and N. I. Lazarenko, were tasked in 1943 to investigate ways of preventing the erosion of tungsten electrical contacts due to sparking. They failed in this task but found that the erosion was more precisely controlled if the electrodes were immersed in a dielectric fluid. This led them to invent an EDM machine used for working difficult to machine materials such as tungsten. The Lazarenkos' machine is known as an R-C-type machine after the RC circuit used to charge the electrodes. Simultaneously, but independently, an American team, Harold Stark, Victor Harding, and Jack Beaver, developed an EDM machine for removing broken drills and taps from aluminium castings. Initially constructing their machines from feeble electricetching tools, they were not very successful. But more powerful sparking units, combined with automatic spark repetition and fluid replacement with an electromagnetic interrupter arrangement produced practical machines. Stark, Harding, and Beaver's machines were able to produce 60 sparks per second. Later machines based on the Stark-Harding-Beaver design used vacuum tube circuits that were able to produce thousands of sparks per second, significantly increasing the speed of cutting.

CALCULATION
Cutting point =spark gap depth =2.0 0.024 (VDI 37) =1.76 =-1.76 (PUNCH)

VDI 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 22 20 18 16

SPARK GAP 0.24 0.225 0.195 0.18 0.165 0.15 0.135 0.12 0.105 0.1 0.09 0.078 0.075 0.066 0.06 0.048 0.036 0.03

CUTTING POINT -1.76 -1.775 -1.805 -1.82 -1.835 -1.85 -1.865 -1.88 -1.895 -1.9 -1.91 -1.922 -1.925 -1.934 -1.94 -1.952 -1.964 -1.97

G00(RAPID TRAVERSE) ` G69 G11 G69 G11 G69 G11 G69

X 145.5 W(VDI) 37 -1.76 W 36 -1.775 W 35 -1.805 W 34 -1.82 W 33 -1.835 W 32 -1.85 W 31 -1.865 W 30 -1.88 W 29 -1.895 W 28 -1.9 W

Y 108.5 V(TECNO) 0 V 0 V 0 V 0 V 0 V 0 V 0 V 0 V 0 V 0 V

Z 8.14 U(CRITINO) 1 U 1 U 1 U 1 U 1 U 1 U 1 U 1 U 1 U 1 U

G69 G11 G69 G11 G69 G11 G69 G11 G69 G11 G69 G11 G69

G11 G69 G11 G69 G11 G69 G11 G69 G11 G69 G11 G69 G11 G69 G11

27 -1.91 W 26 -1.922 W 25 -1.925 W 24 -1.934 W 22 -1.94 W 20 -1.52 W 18 -1.964 W 16 -1.97

0 V 0 V 0 V 0 V 0 V 0 V 0 V 0

1 U 1 U 1 U 1 U 1 U 1 U 1 U 1

Advantages and disadvantages

Some of the advantages of EDM include machining of:

Complex shapes that would otherwise be difficult to produce with conventional cutting tools. Extremely hard material to very close tolerances. Very small work pieces where conventional cutting tools may damage the part from excess cutting tool pressure. There is no direct contact between tool and work piece. Therefore delicate sections and weak materials can be machined without any distortion. A good surface finish can be obtained. Very fine holes can be easily drilled.

Some of the disadvantages of EDM include:

The slow rate of material removal. Potential fire hazard associated with use of combustible oil based dialectrics. The additional time and cost used for creating electrodes for ram/sinker EDM. Reproducing sharp corners on the workpiece is difficult due to electrode wear. Specific power consumption is very high. Power consumption is high. "Overcut" is formed. Excessive tool wear occurs during machining. Electrically non-conductive materials can be machined only with specific set-up of the process.

References
http://members.shaw.ca/rpape/EDMoperation.html http://cnc.fme.vutbr.cz/ http://www.edmmachining.com/history_of_edm.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_discharge_machining