Electrical Discharge Machining
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| CHARMILLES 240 | 13.7" | 8.6" | 8.6" |  |
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| CHARMILLES 290 (2) | 15.7" | 9.8" | 7.8" | ||||||||||
| CHARMILLES 300 | 15.7" | 9.8" | 15.7" | ||||||||||
| CHARMILLES 510 | 27.5" | 15.7" | 15.7" | ||||||||||
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| CHARMILLES HD-8 (2) | 14" | 9.5" | 14" |  |
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| (HOLE DIAMETERS FROM .011 TO .118) | |||||||||||||
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| CHARMILLES ROBOFORM 20 | 11.8" | 9.8" | 9.8" | |||||||||
What is EDM?
EDM or Electrical Discharge Machining is a machining method primarily used for hard, conductive metals or those that would be impossible to machine with traditional techniques. It is especially useful for cutting intricate contours or delicate cavities that would be difficult to produce with a grinder, end mill or other cutting tool.
EDM Procedure:
EDM removes metal by producing a rapid series of repetitive electrical discharges. These electrical discharges are passed between an electrode and the piece of metal being machined. The repetitive discharges create a set of successively deeper craters in the work piece until the final shape is produced. The material that is removed from the work piece is flushed away with a continuously flowing fluid. In fact this fluid also serves as a coolant to minimize the heat-affected zone thus preventing potential damage to the work piece.
Types of EDM:
There are two main EDM methods:
- RAM EDM (Sinker EDM)
- Wire EDM
The electrodes utilized to perform the machining differentiates between the two types.
RAM/Sinker EDM:
For RAM EDM, a job-specific graphite electrode is machined. This specially-shaped electrode is connected to the power source, attached to a ram or head, and slowly fed into the work piece.
This entire process takes place in a fluid bath to enable cooling & flushing.
Wire EDM:
For Wire EDM, a very thin wire (sometimes as thin as a strand of hair) acts as the electrode. The wire is slowly fed through the metal to be cut and the electrical discharges cut the work piece. The wire itself does not cut the metal, but rather electrical discharges remove small amounts of material and allow the wire to be moved through the part. The path of the wire is controlled by a computer, which allows extremely complex shapes to be produced. Wire EDM is typically performed in a bath of water.
EDM Applications:
EDM is especially useful for producing prototypes, dies & molds. Its ability to cut intricate detail in hard metals such as titanium, carbide, inconel, kovar, hardened tool steel, and corrax proves particularly valuable in the medical and aerospace industries. However, automotive, retail, electronics, and defense industries also benefit from this process. EDM is also effective in simpler applications, such as removing broken taps & drills from cavities.