Rust

[METAL CHIPS]

Is there an additve for EDM's to help the parts from becoming rusty, if so what do you recommend?

[Lars Christensen]

I believe that there is something out there, for WEDM, personaly I have never used anything beside spraying the parts with M1 before loading them into the machine, to much will kill your filter life over time though.

If you are using de-ionized water, and your water isent to hard, you can spray a 4140 block with M1 and have it in the machine for 24 hours without any serius rust, the area you cut will always get some corosion, but you want to beat-blast you part anyways.

 

Lars

[jackn]

We havent seen anthing that will prevent rust either down here ....we have the same problem with some of our tool steels like k245(D2) and K110 (O1) but we cant blast them when the are going into press tools and injection moulds

[HevyMetl]

I use Checkmate from Electrodes Inc. I have also used one from Hirschman, but I noticed it left a gummy residue in my tank after I cleaned it and left if empty over the weekend if I didn't dry it off.

 

The Checkmate is very effective for runs up to 36 hrs. I see some small spotting at the tops and bottoms of the parts but the centers look good after clean-up. I use a cleaner called Xylomate from them as well. You spray it on brush it around and in about a minute you have a clean part with no bead blasting. You must rinse it with water to get it off or it will rust anything it sits on. Works on all metals.

 

I run alot of small detialed parts out of 3" x 6" plate. Usually about 50 pieces that all have to fit together to form assemblies for mold cavities and the combination of the preventative and cleaner keeps everything looking nice.

 

What kind of machine are you running?

[Threept82]

I agree with HevyMetl about Checkmate.

I find it to be the best so far.

If I remember the cost is around $75.00 a gallon

but you use only about 4oz. per tank of water.

[Fred @ Slate Industries]

CheckMate...

Hey thanks guys,thats just what I need.

[HevyMetl]

You have to be careful not to mix it with other rust preventatives. My tank is approximatley 200 gallons and after I clean it out I slowly add 1 gallon of the chemical as I am refilling the water. When I pull monthly maintenance I add 4 oz. to keep the saturation level maintained.

[Mike okislong]

For removing the rust from part and machine I use an acid that is made for cleaning concrete it works great and it doesn't screw up your water. I believe its called AC 500. Its real cheap because it come in a concentrate that you mix 70-1. I'll seeb if I can find a link.

[Lars Christensen]

AC 500 is a great cleaning product for you machine, however be carefull on using it on parts, it cleans rust great but it also leavse the surface unprotected because of the acid. I normally use it when my filters are almost shot, because the acid will kill your paper filters.

I buy it directly from my Mits dealer.

 

Lars

 

P.S. It also made my kitchen table look like new

[Don S at Barefoot CNC South]

Hi

Charmillies also makes an addative to add for wire machines.

 

Don S

[Brendan P]

We sometimes get a light film of rust on parts coming out of the wire edm.

Our guy cleans it off with germicidal bowl cleaner made by Spartan company.

Works great but not sure if it has any adverse effects on the metal.

 

They also make a natural (non toxic citris)product that they claim will remove rust too.