Metal Cutting

EDM Equipment

OVERVIEW: In EDM, or electrical discharge machining, the equivalent of tiny lightning bolts perform the material removal. Though slow in terms of metal removal rate, EDM is capable of machining complex shapes in hard materials. Mold and die makers, as well as makers of jet engine components, rely on EDM routinely. The process includes an electrode and a workpiece, both submerged in dielectric fluid. Current flows between the workpiece and electrode, repeatedly creating tiny plasma zones with temperatures around 10,000 degrees C. The high temperatures produce localized, instantaneous melting of the material. Though the process may seem violent, it occurs on such a tiny scale that the resulting metal removal can be precisely controlled. The electrode in EDM takes different forms. Wire EDM machines use a thin wire to cut with electricity, with the wire advancing into the hard metal part as if it was a slow-motion saw blade. By contrast, ram EDM machines, which are also called “die sinkers,” use electrodes that are custom machined into 3D shapes. The EDM process then produces a cavity in the part that is the opposite or female version of the “male” electrode form. Similar to the ram EDM machine is the small-hole EDM machine, or “hole popper.” On this machine, the electrode is a cylinder used to machine a hole. Often these machines are used simply to provide starter holes for wire EDM, but the technology may also be used to machine finished holes in materials that are too difficult to drill.

Manufacturing Videos

Wire EDM with a Twist

Video: Minimizing Mistakes with Laser Scanning CMM

Featured Zone Content

September 2008

Exploring Niches With New EDM Technologies

By: Modern Machine Shop
A shop specializing in wire EDM for large mold components now offers EDM “turning” of small, intricate parts. Despite the potential risks involved in early adoption of new technologies, the shop believes this practice gives it a leg-up on the competition and lets it gain experience with alternative machining techniques before offering them to customers....MORE

February 2008

Room To Grow

By: Modern Machine Shop
This wire EDM job shop in Wisconsin acquired a submerged cutting wire machine that lets it handle larger, taller workpieces than just about any other job shop in the country. The new machine has a “column-up” option that adds a riser block between the X-axis saddle and the Z-axis column casting to give it exceptionally tall cutting capacity. The machine was installed in November 2007....MORE

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January 2012

Wire EDM with a Twist

By: Mark Albert
Most wire EDM units feature a wire electrode that passes vertically from an upper to lower wire guide system. ...MORE

September 2011

CAM Shortcuts Simplify Lights-Out Burns

By: Modern Machine Shop
A CAM system with an intuitive user interface, adaptable postprocessors and time-saving shortcuts help this manufacturer maximize unattended EDM burn time. ...MORE

August 2011

Laser Sintering and EDM: Complementary Processes?

By: Matt Danford
An EDM machine from GF AgieCharmilles proves effective in separating laser-sintered parts from their base plate. ...MORE

August 2011

A Novel EDM Application

By: Matt Danford
GF AgieCharmilles designed the FO 550 SP die-sinking EDM, the company probably never imagined it would be used like this. ...MORE

May 2011

EDM, Metrology System Pairing Opens New Doors

By: Modern Machine Shop
Seeking a solution for producing and measuring smaller, more intricate parts, this shop combined a ram EDM unit and optical 3D metrology system. Each provided significant benefits on its own, but the pairing of the two technologies enabled the company to achieve new levels of precision and productivity. ...MORE

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