By: Arthur Cooper
Submitted: 2011-05-15 10:10:14 | Word Count: 664
An electrical discharge machine is a manufacturing process that contorts metal into any desired shape through the use of electrical discharges known as sparks. These sparks allow the vaporizing of the metal. When this occurs, this process is known as die sinking, burning, wire erosion, spark machining or spark erosion.
EDM is primarily used for hard metals or metals that would be difficult to machine using alternative techniques. Though there have been instances where ceramics have been suggested as a type of material that can be cut with EDM, EDM typically works with materials that are electrically conductive. The notion of cutting ceramics with EDM has yet to be widely accepted so this currently isn’t common practice.
[ advertisement ]
A notable attribute of EDM is that is can intricately cut cavities in pre-hardened steel without the use of heat treatment to soften or re-harden them. This method can also be used with any other metal or alloy including inconel, kovar, hastelloy and titanium.
EDM is widely referred to as non-traditional machinery equipment. To be considered a more traditional piece of machinery the machine must be able to mill, grind, drill, turn or any other process whose material removal mechanism is based on mechanical force.
Though EDM is becoming a common method of making prototype and even low volume production parts, it is most widely used in the mold-making, die making and tooling industries. Industries that require a low volume of extremely accurate or specialized shaped parts like those found in prototype design and in aerospace manufacturing also commonly use EDM.
You may be unaware that another area that significantly uses EDM machines is for stamping die creations. The dies created by EDM machining are used to produce large quantities of coins, jewelry, badges or items of the sort.
EDM machines come in 2 types, Wire EDM and Sinker EDM. In a wire EDM a thin metal wire is fed through the work piece. The wire is held between diamond guides. With Sinker EDM the electrode and work piece are submerged in a liquid and then the electrode slowly sinks into the part as the metal of the part is eroded in the shape of the electrode.
Machinery Values offers quality used EDM machines. Below you will find a few examples of EDM machines that may be of interest to you.
1. The 6" Y Axis 10" X Axis Charmilles D20 RAM-TYPE EDM, ISOCUT ORBITER, 23" x 16" x 11" WORKTANK is equipped with isopulse power supply, isocut orbitor option, microfin fine finishing, backslide
Author Resource:-
Click here to read the rest of Used EDM Machines. If you enjoyed this article, you also might like our other stories about Used Machinery.
