The basic Electrical Discharge Machining process has been around for over 50
years, but only recent advances in power supplies and computer control make it
practical for wider application. For example, tools used in the manufacture of
dies and punches previously took skilled craftsmen endless hours to produce by
hand. Now they can be machined automatically - faster, more accurately, in a
single piece, in hardened metal, and at a fraction of the cost. For many
companies, EDM is the only way to get a job done, because EDM can create burr-free,
intricate and precise shapes in materials that cannot otherwise be machined.
Any material that conducts electricity can be EDMed, and the speed of the process is not affected by the hardness of the material. This makes EDM an ideal process for machining hard materials like hardened steel and carbides. EDM is also applicable to soft or delicate materials since EDM does not use force to remove the material, and there is no risk of mechanical distortion or damage by cutting tools.
There are two basic types of EDM machines, vertical and wire-cut. In both types material is removed from a workpiece by steadily bombarding it with controlled sparks of electricity. The workpiece never comes in contact with the electrode and thus no machining forces distort its shape.
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Applications Power Supplies |
Vertical EDM Wire-Cut EDM |
