Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM)

Masters of the Small Hole
Hole making is considered the most frequently performed metalworking operation. Hole making on a micro level, say 0.010 inch and smaller, is where it gets interesting. This shop is very good at making small holes.

Overcoming the Limits of Hard Milling with EDM
An unusual opportunity led a maker of die-cast dies to reconsider its emphasis on hard milling and take another look at its use of EDM.

Using Grinding Versus EDM to Finish Form Tools
Finishing carbide inserts using EDM or grinding.

EDM Machine Probing Possibilities
Probing options for electrical discharge machining equipment range from simple to sophisticated. Here are options for wire, sinker and hole-drilling EDM.

EDM Enables DIY Form Tools
This manufacturer uses its EDM unit to make and sharpen form tools for its production equipment. Strategically, learning new skills in-house may lead to future commercialization of a value-added process not previously available. It could be a model ...

Mold Manufacturing Automation Leaves No Part Behind
The right mindset, the right five-axis technology and an intuitive approach to palletization help this mold shop extend automated control to the majority of its high-mix work.

The 2016 Capital Spending Survey
The machine tool market bottomed in the summer of 2016, but will continue to rebound in 2017 as shops invest in technology for unattended operation.

“Smart” Generator Technology Makes EDM Operation Intuitive
GF Machining Solutions offers four generator features that enable users to input desired burning results into the CNC, and let the system do the rest.

Wire EDM for Jet Engine “Fir Trees”
Advances in wire EDM (electrical discharge machining) technology have made it acceptable for machining critical aerospace parts. It may now become the preferred method for cutting turbine disc “fir trees,” a particularly demanding applic...

A Hollow-Access Unit for Wire EDM
By simultaneously rotating and tilting the workpiece, this rotary tilt/turn hollow-access device from Hirschmann enables the EDM wire to cut complex openings that may have different paths at the top and bottom of the opening.