| The modern mould/die making tool shop relies heavily | | | | maker spending hours performing complicated setups |
| on EDM machining, both with the sinker and WEDM. It | | | | on the surface grinder or Bridgeport, the electrodes |
| would be almost impossible to imagine competing in | | | | are made in minutes, more accurately as well. |
| this highly technical field without using a comprehensive | | | | These mills require some very advanced carbide end |
| and integrated approach. This has also changed the | | | | mills and insert cutters to do their job. These ball end |
| nature of EDM jobs. | | | | mills and bull nosed cutters can be coated with a huge |
| This approach is much different than the way things | | | | variety of coatings, such as TiN, TiCN and TiAIN. |
| were done only a few years ago. In this not-so-distant | | | | The influence of lean manufacturing began to affect |
| past, there were only manual EDM machines, usually | | | | companies as well, and soon there developed work |
| an Eltee Pulsitron and the operator used a combination | | | | cells. The EDM machining process is now done in a |
| of black magic and science to achieve some pretty | | | | work cell that includes some very sophisticated |
| impressive results. | | | | machine tools. |
| All you needed, back in the day, was a Bridgeport type | | | | The cell typically includes the sinker EDM, a wire EDM |
| vertical milling machine, a manual surface grinder, such | | | | machine, a CMM, a high speed machining center, a |
| as a Harig or Brown and Sharpe, and an engine lathe. | | | | manual surface grinder and an inspection area. There |
| The lathe was not really even that critical, it need not | | | | are many EDM supplies that must be included as well, |
| be a precision one, such as a Hardinge. | | | | such as the Poco graphite, tellurium copper, filters, |
| All this changed when the CNC EDM was developed. | | | | industrial dust collection systems, dielectric fluid, and |
| Soon, every tool and die shop had at least one of | | | | WEDM wire. |
| these new machines. Along with this came the | | | | The wire EDM is a truly remarkable machine. It has |
| development of precision tooling, such as System 3R | | | | completely transformed the way injection molds and |
| and later Erowa. The automatic tool changer could be | | | | precision metal stamping dies are designed and |
| filled with copper or graphite electrodes and the | | | | manufactured. By using CAD/CAM programs, such as |
| machine could run for days, unattended. | | | | Cimatron and GibbsCam Wire-EDM, operators are |
| Charmilles and Agie were early pioneers in EDM | | | | able to produce precision components that were only |
| machining, and the developed many innovative | | | | a dream in the past. |
| electronic circuitry technologies that made the process | | | | The various machines in the cell are all connected by |
| more predictable and controlled. The black magic | | | | the software programs, with the electrodes and |
| aspect began to vanish. | | | | workpieces being controlled by a pallet changer. The |
| The Japanese became major contributors to this | | | | System 3R WorkPartner, and Makino's Track Pallet |
| advancing process and soon companies such as | | | | Magazine (TPM) are examples of the pallet changers |
| Sodick, Mitsubishi, Hitachi, and Makino were pushing the | | | | that used to integrate the cell. |
| process even further along. | | | | You could include the micro welder, or laser welder in |
| The high speed milling machine also totally changed the | | | | this cell, but that means somebody is making mistakes! |
| way electrodes were manufactured. Instead of a mold | | | | Mold repair is, nevertheless, very important. |