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Wire Edm machines


Dan@clover
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I have been assigned the task to monitor our wire edm department, and make it more run efficient. I have little knowledge about wire edm and am looking for some insight from you wire guys. My background is milling and I have that department running smooth and efficient.

 

We currently have 3 Sodick AQ537L wire edm centers. My question’s are:

 

1: where would I see the feed rates programmed and running on the machines?

2: what would be a good way to clock work? (they are using the counter, but that means nothing to me)

3: what could I use to increase productivity when setup parts? Fixtures, holding plates?

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quote:

1: where would I see the feed rates programmed and running on the machines?

its been awhile since i have run a sodick,but it should be in the screen under feed rate which should be in IPM.i use an M code to keep time posted on screen.

 

 

quote:

]2: what would be a good way to clock work?

the perimeter divided by the IPM. 2 inches of burn at .020 ipm =100 min./60 = 1.6 hrs. of course that is ideal on a straight cut with no corners or radii.thats how i quote jobs anyway.it also depends on the thickness of steel,wire diameter,flushing conditions.

 

quote:

3: what could I use to increase productivity when setup parts? Fixtures, holding plates?

some wedm tooling like 3R or hircshman with vices for rectangular parts and for round parts are very nice to have.also magnetic v-blocks and holders help a lot also.

 

 

remember that a wedm is not like a mill. there is a limit to how fast you can burn without sacrificing accuracy and straightness.some high speed wire is nice to have on hand also.

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I'm not familiar with Sodick wire machines, but have 10 years experience operating Charmilles and Elox/Fanuc machines. Although I have not touched a wire machine in the past five years.

 

Feedrates: No such parameter. The feed rate is automatically adjusted by ON time, OFF time, intensity electrical parameters, wire type and will vary greatly depending on flush conditions. You will NOT understand feed rates UNLESS you have experience operating a wire machine and become familiar with your parameters.

 

Clockwork: Ask your machine supplier for the highest feed rate obtainable in square inches with perfect flush conditions. The newer machines should be able to obtain up to 18 square inches/hour if I remember correctly for roughing only. Remember, if the flush conditions are not ideal or you're cutting steep taper angles, the feed rate will drop DRAMATICALLY.

 

Fixtures: 3R and Mecatool offer some of the best fixtures for wires. You may also make your own rail type system out of stainless. You may also purchase some very strong magnets attached to an angle plate (biggest time saver in my experience!).

 

Other tips:

1) Instead of getting your DI tanks recharged, you may opt for an Ebco DI bag system. MUCH CHEAPER!!! When the DI bag needs recharging, you simply set it off to the side for a few days to dry out and then ship it out for recharging.

 

2) Back in the day, we opted for Zinc coated wire. We obtained much higher feed rates and a straighter cut than the regular brass wire. If you are cutting steep taper angles, you must stay with the flexibility of the regular brass. I'm sure there are more wire options in today's world.

 

3) Contact several salesmen and ask for a free spool of wire. Test them all with exact cutting conditions. You will be surprised by the difference in wire prices.

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We fitted a erowa 80 station robot to load all our jobs for the machine. Erowa's software handles the work schedule and stores all the offsets for the jobs. If a job needs priority you can change the schedule with no problems. We use this for all types of one offs and production work.

 

Since in installed this we have found it to be great in reducing labour hours attending the machine and allowing the operator to program and run other machines in the workshop. Also the machine is running all night and at weekends with no operator.

 

www.erowa.com

 

http://www.erowa.com/en/products-solutions...Automation.html

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quote:

can I get a link to 3R fixtures?

better check your bank account first.i would look at auctions to find some used stuff.it is extremely costly especially if you buy new.its overpriced in my opinion and unless you have production type work it will take a long time to get your money back.plus im kinda old school any way.they can tell you the repeatablity is within a tenth or 2 but I STILL CHECK IT.but thats just me.a big time saving thing if you have multiple machines is to use macros foe edge pickups,center finding,slot pick-ups,etc.you can then go to another machine while that one is doing its thing.

 

dan, here is a magnetic chuck i leave set up all the time.its reasonable priced and very handy.

 

https://www.hschmidt.com/productcart/pc/vie...6&idproduct=168

 

 

quote:

Since in installed this we have found it to be great in reducing labour hours attending the machine and allowing the operator to program and run other machines in the workshop. Also the machine is running all night and at weekends with no operator.

then how am i gonna be on emastercam all day.shhhh... dont tell my boss.

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I bought a bunch of 3R type tooling for sinker EDMs at online auctions for the most part...10 cents on the dollar compared to new.. wink.gif Just bought a Charmilles Iso-cut sinker today...local auction. Machines are starting to sell higher which is good news.. biggrin.gif I guess.

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