EDM Wire Cut Machine also known as Wire Cut Machine or Wire EDM Machine. EDM wire cut uses a spool of a thin metallic wire as an electrode such as brass wire, zinc coated wire and zinc enriched wire to cut a programmed contour in a electrically conductive material or a metal workpiece. The diameter of EDM wire is between 0.05mm (0.002") to 0.33mm (0.13") and the wire tensile strength is more or less than 900N/mm² (130,000psi) depends on the type of wire.
EDM brass wire
Photo by Landmark Technology Co., Ltd
The wire EDM machine is generally used when the cut goes all the way through the workpiece and the electrode will be electrically energized to slice through the metal workpiece. The wire is pulled through the workpiece being cut and cooled by a dielectric fluid or deionized water which acts as a coolant. During machining process, the wire itself will be traveling from wire spool into the wire bin reel and the traveling distance will be controlled by the machine program.
EDM Wire
Photo by XACT Wire EDM Corp
The electrode and the workpiece are either fully submerged, or flushed with a deionized water. To start machining it is first necessary to drill a hole in the workpiece or start from the edge. When the electrically energized wire approaching the workpiece the electrical discharge or spark will be created. The spark will jump to the workpiece which will erode some small amount of workpiece and flush away by the deionized water to form the spark gap between the wire and the workpiece. The spark gap size can be controlled as small as 0.0127mm (0.0005").
EDM wire cut possible machining shapes
Photo by Hong Kong Polytechnic University
The Wire EDM machine uses rapid and repetitive electrical discharges to create more and more spark gap. The spark gap will allow the wire to advance further until the workpiece is cut through. The EDM is a non-contact cutting process, the wire itself does not touch the workpiece and the actual cut is done by the spark. This eliminates machining forces that can cause distortion. The quality of the product depends on the spark gap size, the smaller the spark gap size, the smoother the surface, but the machining time is much more longer.
EDM wire cut produces excellent dimensional accuracy with a high quality surface finish, suitable for cutting intricate shapes or irregular shapes and tight radius contours to create complex dies and other tools from extremely hard materials. It is ideal for cutting hardened materials above HRC 38.
CNC EDM Wire Cut Machine
Photo by CNC Machinery, Inc.
Most EDM machines are controlled by computer numeric control (CNC). The CNC wire cut machine is an equipment to produce very fine cuts in the metal workpiece. The cut can be as thin as 0.0127mm (0.0005"). The accuracy of the machine could be as precise that it can produce a tolerance of less than 10 micron. This kind of machine is an essential requirement for making precision dies or moulds. Wire EDM requires no special special fixtures and in most cases the machine can run unattended. This makes the EDM wire cut is one of the most cost-effective process, allowing you to reduce inventory and fast delivery dates. This will contribute to improve cash flow and reduce operating expenses.
