Background

EDM is often included in the ‘non-traditional’ or ‘non-conventional’ group of machiningmethods.  Electric discharge machining (EDM), sometimes also referred to as spark machining,is a manufacturing process performed on electrically conductive metals, whereby the work piece is cut using electrical discharges.  A rapidly recurring current at high voltage discharges between two electrodes, which are separated by a dielectricliquid. One of the electrodes is called the tool-electrode, or simply the ‘tool’ or ‘electrode’, while the other is called the work piece-electrode, or ‘work piece’.As the distance between the two electrodes is reduced, the intensity of the electric field between the electrodes becomes greater than the resistance strength of the dielectric fluid.  A spark arcs across the short distance allowing current to flow between the two electrodes. Current flows between the workpiece and electrode in many short intervals, repeatedly creating tiny plasma zones with temperatures around 10,000 degrees C. The high temperatures produce localized, instantaneous melting of the material.As a result, material is removed from both the electrodes.

Applications

Electrical discharge machining is a machining method primarily used for hard metals and required geometries that are very difficult or impossible to machine using the traditional techniquesof milling, drilling, and grinding whose material removal mechanism is essentially based on mechanical forces. EDM can cut intricate contours or cavities in pre-hardened metals without the need for heat treatment to soften and re-harden them. This method can be used to machine aluminum and steel as well as the more exotic metal alloys such as titanium,kovar, and inconel.EDM can also produce extremely fine surface finishes.

The EDM process can be implemented in three main ways: as a constantly feeding wire electrode(wire EDM), as a pre-shaped electrode that is usually machined out of graphite(sinker EDM), and as a straight feeding electrode used mainly for hole making.  These three specialized machining techniques can supplement conventional machining processes to accomplish virtually any production task…and Computer Integrated Machining offers them all.

CIM and EDM

Computer Integrated Machining offers wire EDMservices that can meet any and all of your manufacturing needs.  The wire EDM process is ideal for a number of specialized applications:

Sinker EDM machining, like Wire EDM, uses spark erosion to machine blind cavities.
This process employs machined electrodes that produce sparks along the surface of the electrode to sink or plunge the cavity. The Sinker EDM process is ideal for a number of applications:

• Blind Cavities
• Intricate Details
• Sharp Corners
• Fine Finishes (Surface Finishes to 10 Micro-Inch)
• Thin Walls and Cross Sections
• Machining Threads into Hardened Parts
• Blind Keyways
• Internal Splines, Squares, or Hexes
• Tolerances can be held to .0001

 

EDM hole drilling is similar to other EDM process and employs a straight feeding wire for applications such as:

• Small hole drilling
• Deep hole drilling
• Hard or soft materials
• Drilling at difficult angles

 

Computer Integrated Machining offers the highest quality EDM services available today andservices a wide range of customers in many industries including: aerospace, medical, oil, automotive, military, green technologies, and marine.  We look forward to meeting all your production needs.