CAM Software Helps Improve Sinker-EDM Electrode Programming and Cycle Time
Case Studies: Solving Real-World Problems
 The production of electrodes for die-sinking EDM represents one of the most difficult CNC programming challenges. The electrodes have complex geometries and must be machined with high precision. Also, they are produced in small lots, even one-offs, so programming time has to be as short as possible. The EDM Department, an American firm that provides EDM tooling and contract manufacturing, has been able to answer all these challenges with the help of Esprit Knowledge-Base™ CNC programming software supplied by DP Technology.
“The Esprit Knowledge-Base machining capabilities enable us to embed our machining expertise within the software, which substantially reduces programming time,” explains Mark Raleigh, the president of EDM Department. “We are using knowledge-based machining to develop a storehouse of optimized machining operations that we use over and over again to ensure that each of our programmes is as productive as possible.”
Raleigh’s company previously developed CNC programmes for the electrodes with 2D programming software. A problem with this approach was the common requirement for many trigonometric calculations to define the part geometry.
In addition, the software could not accommodate 3D contoured surfaces; EDM Department programmers could write their own G-code and attach it to the programme, but that took a lot of time and was practical only for simple contours. More G-code had to be created in-house to programme newer-generation machine tools.
So, Mark Raleigh decided to invest in a state-of-the-art solid-model-based CNC programming system. He chose Esprit Knowledge-Base because its features that allowed the company’s own machining and tool expertise to be embedded would save time by automating many otherwise tedious programming functions.
Adds Raleigh, “The knowledge base also can help reduce machining cycle times by providing programmers with standardized operations that have been optimized by highly skilled and experienced programmers.”
This software, like die-sinking EDM itself, is especially helpful in programming electrodes for medical device components, many of which are characterized by high aspect ratios. The EDM Department uses the design of experiments method to determine the optimal machining conditions for the challenging cuts sinker electrodes necessitate.
“Esprit gives us the ability to make adjustments in very fine increments, as well as the ability to save machining operations for use on future electrodes,” explains Raleigh.
The company uses Esprit to programme its die-sinking EDM machines as well. Here, programming allows restarting a stopped job just where it left off. The new programming software and methods have helped the EDM Department reduce programming time significantly, even for the most complicated parts, while also increasing machining productivity.
“The ability to create a realistic simulation of the complete machining operation has nearly eliminated programming errors,” Raleigh reports, observing that this accelerates machine setup. Cycle times are shorter because optimized machining operations that are archived can be applied to features quickly.
“Esprit also makes it easy to change and evaluate machining operations,” concludes Raleigh, “which makes it practical to continually improve our programming methods.”
DP Technology Europe
Montpellier, France
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