In the machining industry, wire EDM is already a very conventional processing method. Are you facing problems such as insufficient processing accuracy and low processing efficiency in this industry? Don’t worry, I believe you will learn something about wire EDM through this article and find a solution.
What Is Wire EDM?
Wire EDM (Wire Electrical Discharge Machining) is the use of a thin single-strand metal wire as an electrode to cut through material with electrical energy. This process employs thin metal wires (usually molybdenum wires or copper wires) as electrodes, and based on pulse discharge to slowly erode and take away the material at the workpiece, to realize ultra high precision machining of the parts.
Moreover, the entire machining process takes place in an insulating liquid (such as deionized water), which also helps to remove debris generated during processing and cool the workpiece.
How Does Wire EDM Work？
After talking about the definition, let me tell you how Wire Edm works. I think this is what you want to know.
1. Preparation Phase
You can’t ignore this step in the preparation stage, , because it is related to whether the entire manufacturing process can be completed smoothly. And you need to immerse the metal workpiece to be processed in the dielectric fluid and fix it with a mechanical vise. At the same time, you also need to install the electrode wire.
2. Setting Path And Parameters
You need to set the cutting path and discharge parameters (such as current, pulse frequency, etc.) of the machine tool through the CNC system.
3. Starting Machining
After machining begins, the wire electrode travels over the workpiece in the path of the designated program, however it remains in a small distance from the workpiece, and the pulsating current is continuously applied.
4. Removing Material
During this period, each discharge will vaporize or melt tiny areas on the surface of the workpiece, gradually eroding the material to form the desired profile.
5. Cooling And Chip Removal
The insulating fluid also continuously flows during the process, cooling the work piece and the electrode wire, and removing waste from the machining area.
6. Finished Product Is Completed
When the workpiece is finally cut, the workpiece can be taken out to get high-precision parts.
What Is Wire EDM Used For?
Now, Wire Edm has been widely used in many fields, and what do these fields include? I will introduce them for you.
1. Mold Manufacturing
Wire Edm can machining parts with complex structures such as stamping molds, plastic molds, and die-casting molds, and can produce mold parts that require high precision and high hardness materials.
2. Aerospace
In the aerospace field, Wire Edm can manufacture high-precision, complex-structured parts such as aircraft engine parts and turbine blades.
3. Medical Device
Wire Edm can produce surgical instruments, implants and other components that require extremely high size and surface quality.
4. Electronics And Semiconductor Industry
Wire Edm can meet your miniaturization and high-precision production needs, processing tiny parts such as precision punching sheets, connectors, and integrated circuit packaging molds.
5. Automobile Manufacturing
In the automotive industry, Wire Edm can cut high-precision parts such as engine parts, transmission system parts, precision molds, etc. It can improve the service life and accuracy of parts.
6. Machinery Manufacturing
Wire Edm can also be used for single-piece and small-batch processing of various precision parts, and is especially suitable for the production of industrial parts with complex contours and microstructures.
7. Watch And Jewelry Industry
In fact, Wire EDM also has important applications in the watch and jewelry industry. After all, watches contain a large number of micro, precision metal parts, such as gears, springs, etc. Wire EDM can machining extremely fine and complex parts. In addition, various jewelry has elaborate forms and hollow structure. Wire EDM can also be used to accurately cut precious metals (like gold, platinum, etc) to create intricate and detailed designs and shapes.
Wire EDM Advantages And Disadvantages
I’m afraid you want to ask, after saying so much about Wire EDM, what are its advantages and disadvantages? Which ones meet my machining needs? Below, I will introduce them to you one by one.
1. Wire EDM Advantages
(1) High Precision And High Surface Quality
This process enables the production of parts with micron-level machining accuracy and smooth surfaces.
(2) Machining High-hardness Materials
Wire EDM can easily cut high hardness or high brittle materials such as carbide, quenched steel, titanium alloys, etc.
(3) Strong Ability To Machining Complex Shape
Compared with traditional machinery, Wire Edm can machining parts with very complex shapes. These shapes include difficult-to-finish contours, elongated grooves, microscopic holes, hollow structures, etc.
(4) No Mechanical Stress And Deformation
Since there is no tool contact during the entire machining process, the workpiece will not be affected by mechanical forces, which also avoids the problem of machining deformation and stress damage.
(5) Suitable For Single-piece And Small Batch
Wire EDM is flexible in programming, so it is very suitable for rapid machining of small batches or personalized parts.
(6) High Degree Of Automation
Wire EDM equipment has a high degree of automation, which reduces manual intervention and greatly improves work efficiency.
2. Wire EDM Disadvantages
(1) The Processing Speed Is Slow
Compared with traditional mechanical cutting, Wire EDM has a lower machining speed, so this process is not suitable for mass production or rough machining of large-size parts.
(2) Only Machining Conductive Materials
Wire EDM is only suitable for metal or other conductive materials. This process cannot machining non-conductive materials, such as ceramics, plastics, etc.
(3) The Cost Of Consumables Is High
The entire wire EDM process requires the consumption of metal wires (such as molybdenum wires, copper wires) and special working fluids, so the long-term operating cost of this process is high
(4) There Are Tiny Discharge Pits On The Surface
Although the surface finish of the manufactured parts is very high, discharge corrosion pits still exist microscopically. So once the order has high-demand surface requirements, you still need to follow up.
(5) Large Equipment Investment
Wire EDM equipment is more expensive and requires professional technicians for maintenance and operation.
(6) Have Certain Requirements For The Environment
Special working fluid is required during processing, and the equipment operating environment must be kept clean to prevent liquid contamination and equipment failure.
What Is A Wire EDM Machine?
After talking about the process, let me introduce to you the Wire Edm machine.
1. CNC System
The CNC system is used to control the movement trajectory of the electrode wire to achieve automatic machining of complex shapes.
2. Power Supply System
The power supply system is an important part of the machine tool. It mainly provides high-frequency pulse current for the entire machining process and generates discharge energy.
3. Workbench And Fixture
It is mainly used to fix the workpiece and supports multi-directional movement.
4. Electrode Wire Supply System
Ensure stable and continuous movement and replacement of metal wires.
5. Working Fluid Circulation System
The system is used to cool the workpiece and electrode wire, and also removes processing debris to ensure machining accuracy.
Summary
At this point, wire EDM can be said to be a widely used high-precision machining method, and now it has become one of the choices for many manufacturers to produce parts. And through reading the whole article, you must also have a deeper understanding of the process. Of course, our DSR company is an experienced machining manufacturer, we can also provide you with high-quality wire EDM machining services, if you have any needs, please contact us now!
FAQ
Q1: What is the difference between EDM and wire EDM?
A: In fact, Wire EDM is a special form of EDM. The difference is that Wire EDM uses thin metal wires as electrodes to perform high-precision cutting of workpieces, which is very suitable for machining complex contours and microstructures; Traditional EDM usually uses forming electrodes to discharge mold the workpiece at points, surfaces or cavities, which is more suitable for mold cavity manufacturing.
Q2: What is the accuracy of wire EDM?
A: Regarding the accuracy issue, Wire EDM has extremely high processing accuracy, usually reaching micron-level accuracy of ±0.005 mm or higher, and the surface finish is also very good.
