Wire-Cut EDMs Suitable for Daily Workshop Employment Are Designed to Be Technically and Economically Cutting-Edge
Industry Roundup: New Products & Services
 After presenting the first prototype of a new wire-cut EDM machine at Tokyo’s JIMTOF fair last year, Mitsubishi Electric plans to introduce its high-precision NA Essence wire EDM series to the European public at EMO Milano in October. The new high-end machine series combines revolutionary with evolutionary advances: it was redesigned from scratch, but takes advantage of the further development of proven, reliable technologies.
The drive system of the NA Essence is certainly a breakthrough. The machine uses an optical servo drive system in combination with tubular direct drives, a unique concept offering the benefits of ball-screw drives and conventional linear drives. This construction avoids both the interfering magnetic-power influence of linear drives on the guidance system and unnecessary heat generation. One result is optimized energy consumption efficiency.
Thanks to the optical servo drive, the NA Essence wire-cut EDM reacts in real time. The machine’s Advance CNC communicates via fibre-optic cables with the extremely reactive drives; thus, the control is able to handle and transfer signals instantaneously.
Though the very-high-precision series is intended to set standards for quality and productivity, these are not machines with limited application. This is made clear by their workspace dimensions. The NA1200 Essence boasts x-y-z travel paths of 400 x 300 x 220 mm, while the respective axial travels for the NA2400 Essence are 600 x 400 x 310 mm.
Both machines use wires ranging from 0.05 to 0.30 mm in diameter as standard. The best surface quality achievable with the Digital FS (D-FS) generator is 0.05 µm Ra, depending on workpiece material and cutting height; this can always be achieved with plain brass wire, however. Thus, the NA Essence not only is efficient but also has low running costs. In addition to the DFS, the series is equipped with a Digital AE generator, which controls the vertical position of sparks to attain highest parallelism on the workpiece.
Ergonomic design and user-friendliness, always a priority for Mitsubishi Electric, is evident in the new wire-cut EDM series. The popular Advance CNC features a logical menu structure and clear design. The controller is operated via a robust 15-in. touch-screen monitor, fixed function keys for common commands, and a keyboard and mouse. An integrated programming system and complete networking capability, along with numerous automatic functions optimized for the optical drive, make daily work comfortable for the machine operator.
Access to the working area is very good; the NA1200 Essence is equipped with an automatic vertical sliding tank door, while the NA2400 Essence has a three-side-lift tank. Another noteworthy series attribute is the highly reliable automatic wire-feed system. Also, the machines are considered maintenance-friendly, like other Mitsubishi Electric EDM systems. High-precision capability notwithstanding, the NA Essence is not a “sensitive soul” but is rather designed for daily use in active workshops.
The NA Essence embodies environmental consciousness in more ways than stingy energy use. Its inverter-controlled pumps for dielectric-fluid circulation have a standby mode, for example. And the machines’ massive cast-iron bed, besides ensuring long-term stability and precision, can easily be recycled.
Mitsubishi Electric Europe B.V.
Ratingen, Germany
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