Delen Tooling - Spark and Wire Erosion - Plant List

Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines have evolved only very slightly since their inception in 1952 because the fundamental design is so sound. What has changed is the quality and capacity of the user-interface, increasing the complexity of work that's possible whilst reducing the time it takes to generate the routine.

Automating the milling via a CAD-CAM package and conversational programming of the mill makes production of very complex and precise parts is not only far simpler than previously, it's also far more cost effective to produce small batches or prototypes since the time to program the machine has shrunk so much. The kind of precision possible with a CAM aided mill is almost unbelievable, but the accuracy of bored holes is plus or minus 0.01 of a millimetre.

We use a Hurco CNC Milling Machine, a twenty post toolchanger capable of 3-axis contouring. We have a direct link to our 5 axis NC Graphics CAD-CAM system and together they are the heart of our workshop, enabling us to design and produce consistently high-quality work.

We use the same system to manufacture electrodes for our spark eroders. Our workload for this machine varies from Formula One race car components through to tooling for the computer and film industry.

Maintaining our commitment to precision, we have a Sodick A320D Wire Eroder for ultra-precise drilling. Accuracy of just a few micrometres is achievable, and the surface finish is near-perfect especially when compared to normal drilling techniques where the drill bit is in contact with the workpiece.

With Wire Erosion, an ultra-thin wire is passed through the work and the entire piece is then submerged in an insulating liquid; deionized water is used to control resistivity and wash away debris from the cutting action. The wire is spooled continually and controlled via upper and lower diamond guides. The lower guide moves in the x-y axis, but the upper guide can also control the wire in the z-u-v axis meaning the surface can be tapered and complex shapes can be cut.

Sodick make some of the best Wire Eroders available so we're pleased to be able to offer our customers the A320D. The precision and finish possible means that industries relying on extreme levels of accuracy – for instance the Aerospace industry and motor racing – come to us knowing that the end result will meet their requirements perfectly.

Spark Erosion, or more formally Electric Discharge Machining (EDM), is a way of cutting extremely hard materials using an electrical current (a spark) passed between two electrodes whilst the work area is doused with a dielectric insulating fluid to wash away debris. One of the two electrodes will be the workpiece itself which is electrified via a direct current. The tool is then positioned close to the workpiece and a spark is generated, this spark is powerful enough to crater the surface of the workpiece and through this continued action the surface is eroded and shaped.

The use of a Spark Eroder removes the need to heat and reshape metals such as steel since the EDM machine can cut them as is. Additionally, single-crystal alloys and other very hard materials that would be almost impossible to cut and shape so precisely using other means can be machined within extremely narrow margins of variance, 0.0001mm to be precise. The same is true of extremely fragile materials where tool contact would cause deformation.

Furthermore, due to the tiny area of effect of the spark, smaller workpieces can be cut easily. Using traditional drilling methods there are obvious limitations when the workpiece is very small or fragile, but with EDM these concerns evaporate.

As an example application consider a jet-engine turbine blade. The holes drilled into these materials need to be precise, but the alloys employed are so rigid that conventional means of would be unfeasible. Contact drills and tools can have issues with drill-bits jumping or causing damage through the pressure of the cutting action, whereas EDM drilling is zero-contact meaning the surface finish is perfect.

In combination with our CAD-CAM system, we are able to produce extremely precise work. We make parts for high performance cars such as gearbox parts, steering assemblies and wing rams. We have a reputation for accuracy, reliability and timeliness built on thirty years of engineering experience. Our spark and wire erosion skills are utilised by companies demanding the very best, which we are only too happy supply.

Sodick's reputation for excellent EDM machines continues with the AQ35L, and we're proud to be able to offer it to our customers. Our AQ35L is used to make precision parts for the motor racing industry, the aerospace industry and for use in scientific equipment.

For example, we made parts for a range of Laser frequency adjusters used in Physics laboratory equipment. The level of accuracy required by such equipment means that traditional milling techniques are useless. Our skill and experience with spark and wire erosion makes jobs like this possible.

Accuracy of just a few micrometres is achievable, and the surface finish is near-perfect especially when compared to normal drilling techniques where the drill bit is in contact with the workpiece.

With Wire Erosion, an ultra-thin wire is passed through the work and the entire piece is then submerged in an insulating liquid; deionized water is used to control resistivity and wash away debris from the cutting action. The wire is spooled continually and controlled via upper and lower diamond guides. The lower guide moves in the x-y axis, but the upper guide can also control the wire in the z-u-v axis meaning the surface can be tapered and complex shapes can be cut.