Ugly, rusty parts are avoidable on today's wire electrical discharge machines.
Share
Related Suppliers
Additives:
Additives do help in controlling oxidation and pitting of a variety of materials. These products help a great deal when cutting a workpiece with pre-polished surfaces.
Set the water conductivity to 5 microS or less, which is typically recommended for carbide, PCD, titanium, and fine finishes (<10 micro inches). This will also help keep bluing to a minimum on older non-anti-electrolysis generators.
Check water pH. Acidic detergents used to clean parts and tank will have a dramatic effect on parts rusting and will reduce the life of the deionization bottles.
Mix Workpiece Materials
With all the new and old types of alloys available, material incompatibility may cause surface issues. However, EDM field technicians have yet to document an instance where this situation has occurred.
New Machines
Most current wire EDMs are equipped with Anti-Electrolysis generators, some better then others. It basically comes down to how good the technology is and how fine of a surface finish the generator is capable of producing. A machine that is capable of producing a super fine finish (< 5 micro inches) can generate optimum surface integrity.
One example is the GF AgieCharmilles CUT 1000 that can machine parts with zero corrosion. The CUT 1000 is available in an oil version. With this feature, there is absolutely no electrolysis, corrosion and virtually zero recast.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Exploring Niches With New EDM Technologies
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.
-
The Hidden Cost Of EDM Wire Consumption
Excessive wire consumption on a wire electrical discharge machine is costly. Technology that allows slower unspooling speeds without compromising results appears to be the answer.
-
Anti-Electrolysis Developments In Wire EDM
Originally, wire EDM had two things going against it. It was slow, and often it left an undesirable surface finish. In the last few years, wire EDM builders have fixed the speed problem. Now they're well on their way to fixing the surface finish problem.
