Makino EDM Matters Blog

Helpful Tip for Preventing Rust in Wire EDMing

Your DisplayName here! — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:59:53 GMT

Rust can be a troublesome development on long cycle time workpieces, resulting in extended manual removal times. As such, always remember to fully demagnetize the work piece before wire EDMing. This simple and often forgotten exercise will ensure the best possible machining results, and can also help prevent excessive work piece rusting.

For more information on rust preventative solutions, we recommend our webinar “Get Rid of the Rust,” available at makino.com.

Convenient and Efficient EDM Consumable Orders

Your DisplayName here! — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 18:44:26 GMT

Time is money, especially in the manufacturing industry. As such, we are continuously searching for ways to make the best use of our time and gain efficiency.

One consumables distributor that has taken this demand for time seriously is Single Source Technologies. The company recently announced a new online storefront for many of its EDM consumables, allowing EDMers to quickly and easily order supplies online. The site features 24 hour convenience, order history records, shipment tracking and special online pricing. We highly recommend that you check out this service to help improve the convenience and efficiency of your consumable orders.

http://www.singlesourcetech.com/edm-supplies

A Q&A on Geometry Undercut and Crossover Prevention

Your DisplayName here! — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:16:57 GMT

Q: Is there an easy way for a wire EDM to automatically prevent a geometry undercut or crossover, and can the program graphic “Overcut Warning Message” be disabled?

A: The geometry undercut prevention is controlled with machine parameter 88, and provides settings for 2-D and taper machining. Ordinarily, this parameter should be set with the 2-D undercut prevention as active (Bit #4 = 1), and should read as 00010000 for the MGW-S control. To enable undercut prevention for taper machining, please activate Bit #5 (00110000). With these parameters active, the program drawing graphics will stop at every point in which this function is correcting and preventing an undercut with a warning message as a means of alerting the operator to a geometry issue, and the “Drawing Start” button will need to be pressed to advance and continue the program path graphic. To disable and turn off the program path “Overcut Warning Message,” please set parameter 51—Bit #2—to active for software versions 7-1 or higher. For easy setting or switching of the individual Bits for each parameter, please highlight the desired parameter, and use the “Bit Invert” button that is located on the bottom of the parameters screen. If you have any questions, or are unsure how to edit and access the machine parameters, please call 1-888-MAKINO4 (625-4664) for technical assistance.

New EDM Filters Outperform Traditional Paper Filters by 30%

Your DisplayName here! — Tue, 28 May 2013 16:36:11 GMT

A revised high performance filter is now available from Mann+Hummel for your wire EDM filtration needs. The new design incorporates detachable handles for easy placement into the machine, and a new media geometry that further improves filter life.

The new filter design uses a synthetic fiber element media, which reduces the overall size of each wall pleat, allowing for more filtration pleats to be contained within the filter. The combination of pleat size and triple bellows shape design dramatically increases the total filter surface area, providing an increase in holding capacity and extended service life of the filter.

This new design will outperform traditional paper media filters by 30%, and also eliminates the required pre-coat time of paper elements to achieve maximum filtration efficiency, keeping your machine and water cleaner. For the operator, the new filter design also incorporates molded-in handles for easy and convenient handling. These new filters are available for all makes and models of machines. The part number for Makino wire EDMs is H34-1390. For more information, we recommend contacting SST-Consumables directly at 1-800-336-7283, or visit their website at: http://www.singlesourcetech.com/edm-supplies

A Quick and Easy Tip to Ensure Best Performance and Profitability

Your DisplayName here! — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:53:17 GMT

For this week’s blog post, we wanted to remind EDMers of a basic, but crucial practice to improve performance and consumable life.

As part of work piece preparation, the work piece should be thoroughly cleaned before wire EDM operations. This includes the cleaning of any fluids, coolants, oils, or debris that can be on the parts. Be sure to clean any threaded or counterbored holes, as grinding grit and metal chips have a tendency to accumulate in these areas. These simple measures will prevent machining issues, extend filter and resin life, and avoid contamination of the di-electric water supply.

An Economic Alternative in Zinc Coated Wires

Your DisplayName here! — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:58:45 GMT

Dealing with a wide variety of part applications allows us the benefit of testing new wire types on a frequent basis. Today, we wanted to share one with you - Bedra's CobraCut-AS. This new zinc coated wire works as an economic alternative to the industry standard CobraCut or MegaCut-A type wire. Bedra has been the leader in zinc-coated high-performance EDM wire for over 30 years, and is now offering a lower cost zinc coated wire that does not compromise on quality, efficiency, or precision. For more information on CobraCut-AS, we recommend contacting SST-Consumables at 1-800-336-7283.

DUO-Series Receives Machining Conditions Version 8

Your DisplayName here! — Tue, 07 May 2013 13:02:18 GMT

Makino has just released Machining Conditions Version 8 for the DUO-Series wire EDM machines, which provides new conditions for 0.006” (0.150mm) steel, and coated wire settings for 0.010” (0.250mm) aluminum. This update also provides several revisions and improvements to the 0.010” (0.250mm) and 0.012” (0.300mm) technology library for steel, tungsten carbide, and copper. Updating to Version 8 requires software version Wx.010-3 or newer. Please contact Makino’s Technical Services at 1-888-625-4664 for more information.

Ideal Acid Cleaner for Cleaning and Maintaining EDM Machines

Your DisplayName here! — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:03:44 GMT

For this week's blog post, we wanted to recommend a helpful new EDM acid cleaner and rust remover called K-200. This acid cleaner is ideal for cleaning and maintaining the wire guides and threading jet assembly. We believe in its effectiveness so much that a bottle is provided with all of Makino's EDM machines.

Please remember that safety should always be the #1 concern when handling acid cleaners, and eye protection should be worn at all times. When using acids to clean machine parts, it is recommend that the acid not be used to clean rubber or plastic parts, and any surfaces that are cleaned should be washed with water to neutralize the acid cleaner.

K-200 is currently available in 1-Liter bottles through SST-Consumables. For additional information on the product, please contact 1-800-336-7283.

HQSF Additive Selection for High-Quality Surfaces

Your DisplayName here! — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:42:15 GMT

Makino’s HQSF (High Quality Surface Finish) technology for sinker EDMs, which uses a suspended additive in the di-electric fluid to dramatically enhance surface finish, is available in two different additive types. Type 1 additive is used for small to medium sized (under 8.0 square-inches) part details, and can produce surface finishes down to 2µmRmax (10µinRa) using graphite electrodes. Type 2 additive is used for medium to large part details, and can produce surface finishes down to 4µmRmax (18µinRa) using graphite electrodes. Both types are used with a standard concentration level of 1.0~1.5 grams per liter of di-electric fluid.

The use of HQSF technology provides finer and more consistent surface finishes over the entire part detail with improved metallurgical quality. In many cases, these characteristics have eliminated hand benching or polishing processes, and can extend the functional life of the produced component. HQSF can actually reduce cycle time if only standard EDM finishes are required, but the technology also provides further machining processes that are used to achieve surface finishes far beyond what standard EDM can produce using both copper and graphite electrodes.

EZ-Cut Control Function Allows Power and Speed Adjustments During Rough Cutting

Your DisplayName here! — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:47:30 GMT

Makino’s MGW-S WireWizard Wire EDM control provides an EZ-Cut power control function that allows the operator to raise or lower the machining power and speed during a rough cut by (+) or (-) 25% in 5% increments. This convenient function is used by both novice and experience operators, and automatically adjusts several power setting elements of the active E-code. The EZ-Cut function, which only affects rough cut power settings, is primarily controlled by the on-screen color coded slider bar located on the OPERATION page, but it can also be direct M-code programmed. The direct M-code programming format is provided below, and allows the EZ-Cut function to be turned on and off, and also allows programming of the adjustment value.

M72 S2 N2 L____ P____

L0 = EZ-Cut OFF
L1 = EZ-Cut ON (Uses the current set value of the EZ-Cut slider bar if P Value is not set)
P = -5 to 5 (0 value is standard E-Code value)