Makino EDM Matters Blog - High Speed Burning

Carbide Machining Without the Worry of Binder Depletion

Your DisplayName here! — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 17:14:41 GMT

EDM is a popular means of machining tungsten carbide materials, because the hardness of the material is not a concern for the EDM process. Both Wire and Sinker EDMs can used to machine fine details and near mirror finishes in tungsten carbide materials. The major drawback to the use of WEDM to machine tungsten carbide has always been the electrolytic action between the carbide material and the dielectric (de-ionized) water used in WEDM machines. This electrolytic action can actually break down the binder in the carbide, usually cobalt, and produce what looks like rust on the surface of the material. Under magnification, this break down is apparent as voids in the surface of the material (see photo 1a & 1b). These voids weaken the structure of the material, and will result in shortened tool life, especially for impact tooling such as punches, and dies used in stamping, forging, or cold heading.

WEDM using oil as the dielectric has been a slow process, historically, and there have been few of these kinds of machines produced. Makino now offers a machine designed to operate with oil dielectric, and to cut carbide and PCD materials with extreme accuracy and surface finishes. The UPV3 and UPV5 WEDM machines are the next evolution of the award winning U-Series WEDMs from Makino. Although designed for machining carbides and PCD materials, the UPV machines also perform well in tool steels. Leaving only sporadic measurable recast, and no measurable HAZ, these machines can achieve measurable surface finish results of 0.08ymRz or better! (see photo 2). For more information about these ultra-precise, oil dielectric WEDMs, watch the new Makino webinar on "Faster Cutting of Carbide and Hardened Materials."

Photo 1a – Carbide machined in oil; no cobalt depletion.

Photo 1b – Carbide machined in de-ionized water shows signs of cobalt depletion.

Photo 2 – Reflections of parts in surface of carbide block taken directly from UPV.

How wire unspooling rates can affect profits

Your DisplayName here! — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:13:48 GMT

I was recently made aware of a new video clip on the internet comparing wire consumption of 2 WEDMs. I have provided a link to this clip so you can check it out. The video shows 2 WEDM machines during the cut. The camera focuses on the wire spools as they unspool wire during the rough cut of the same part detail. The difference in unspooling rates is pretty staggering. According to the video, both machines performed about as well regarding cycle times, accuracy and finish, but one of the machines uses 55% less wire than other. This can represent a huge amount of money over time. For a shop that has a machine that uses this much more wire, and spends say $10,000 a year for wire, the lower wire consumption means that this shop could reduce their wire expense by about $5500 per year, at today's wire price of about $5/lb for brass wire. Commodity prices are rising again, and that means the raw materials needed to make wire (copper and zinc) are at a higher price as well. This will tend to drive the price of wire even higher than today's price of about $5/lb. Who remembers the days of brass wire costing $7-8/lb? Well, if the price of wire goes up, the cost savings will be even more. The other way to look at it is if the price of wire goes up, and you use a machine that consumes more wire, you have to either raise the price of the parts you make for your customers, or you will realize lower profits.

Some will say that most WEDMs can be run at far lower wire speeds, which is true. However, if these machines are set to lower wire feed rates, they will also see longer cycle times. As wire feed rates are reduced, cutting speeds must also be reduced to avoid things like excessive wire breaks, inaccuracies, and poor surface finishes.

Makino has been working with their customers for several years, educating them on the added value provided by Makino WEDMs, that do indeed use far less wire to do the same job as other machines. In today's extremely competitive business environment, who can afford not to consider a machine that has proven itself to save several thousand dollars each year in wire cost? Especially if that machine can achieve results equal to or better than competitors that consume 30%-55% more wire.

I will be presenting a webinar on September 10 that will address this issue in detail. In the meantime, you can contact me to receive a free wire consumption calculator that will allow you to input wire feeds, cutting speeds, and cost of wire per pound to see just how much wire is used, and how much you spend in wire, for any given job.

Customer Support Is Very Rewarding

Your DisplayName here! — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:39:48 GMT

There's always a good feeling you get after reading an e-mail like this...

"It is a pleasure to write this e-mail. I wanted to express my gratitude for the support I've always received from all of my contacts with the people from SST Group. Mr. Dan Dotson keeps in frequent contact with me on any consumable items that I may need. He always finds time to call me at least weekly to provide updates on SST product updates or to offer encouragement as we navigate this difficult business cycle environment. Many thanks.

I would also like to tell you about the valuable support I receive from another of your highly qualified people. Kevin Most has probably been the biggest reason I have been successful with the investments I've made with Makino EDM's. Many, many numerous times I have clicked on his speed-dial on my cell phone over the last 2 to 3 yrs and have never not been able get in immediate contact with Kevin. I'm not talking about problems with my machines but rather application issues such as helping me by discussing the best way to burn select materials so I can quote a job, or complete a job or just enlighten me as to the capabilities of the SP43. I have one small customer that asks me to burn a shape in carbide that is actually a spline curve which often trips me up on the programming side and Kevin always finds a solution for me. Did you know that he helped me through one of these projects by exchanging e-mails while he was in Singapore last year? Yep, he found time between meetings, tours and training to get the info to me. Unbelievable. Ask him sometime how he worked me through a 4axis application for an exhaust nozzle on a jet engine that turned into a blanket order that lasted over a year and may repeat again this year.

Lately, I've been moving jobs from other wire edm's over to the Makinos to take advantage of using my 'HEAT' settings on quite thin but very rigid work pieces. I don't think 'Heat' is generally recommended for 1/4" or 3/8" thick work pieces however when the parts are in a rigid set-up and very poor flushing 'Heat' works very well.

I will not extend this email further with any more examples of how I've been supported. So let me conclude with this. Picture me in my shop, standing in front of the control on a SP43, cell phone up against my ear, saying "Kevin, how do I get it (the SP43) to do this" That says it all.

When I purchased my second Makino, I told Nick that I made my decision based on buying not just a good machine but also buying the Makino Team. I'm sure I'll feel the same when I'm ready for my third."

Sincerely,
Jack Lanphier Pres.
Lanko Industries, Inc.
Mentor, Ohio

Thanks for the e-mail Jack. It's a pleasure for all of us at Makino to serve our customers.

Amazing EDM Fine Hole comparison

Your DisplayName here! — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:21:58 GMT

Makino has recently done testing for a customer in the medical industry for EDM Fine Hole machining. Part of this testing compared Fine Hole EDM to Laser and conventional mechanical drilling techniques. The results of the tests were pretty amazing. The photo micrographs below show the results of all three processes. As the demand for smaller holes in medical devices, telecommunications and fiber optics, and aerospace applications increases, Makino continues to develop and refine our Fine Hole EDM machines to meet these demands. Requirements for many of these projects include accuracy of size and shape, consistency in dimensions and locations of entry and exit, and straightness through high L/D ratios. Check out these pictures and decide for yourself which process produces a better result in tight tolerance, high accuracy hole drilling. These photos were machined into 316 Stainless Steel, 0.250mm thick, and captured on a scanning electron microscope. Magnification levels are indicated on the photos.

This 0.015mm hole was developed using using a PICO second laser. Notice the deformation of the entrance hole and splattering of the exit hole.

The following 0.090mm hole was produced using conventional drilling. Notice the differing entrance and exit hole diameters and inaccurate roundness.

The next 0.020mm hole was produced using Makino Fine Hole EDMing. Entrance and exit holes were of the same quality with little to no deformation occurring to either one.

Makino fine hole EDMing was used to produce this 0.100mm hole as well. Once again the entrance and exit holes were virtually of the same quality. As you can see, little to no deformation resulted.

FW: Ti Booster technology

Your DisplayName here! — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:23:18 GMT

FW: Ti Booster technology
Makino has recently developed Titanium booster technology for Makino sinkers at the request of a major aerospace manufacturer. In order to use it, the EDM machine must have a generator booster that provides an additional 60 amps to the existing standard generator. What's new is the technology, or machining conditions, that provide the burn parameters for the machining - On time, Off time, Servo, Amperage, etc. The new technology is currently for high speed roughing only, and provides material removal rates of about 2 grams per minute. This is about 70-80% faster than previous technologies. Makino is currently developing finish settings for this new technology that are expected to be able to achieve finishes down to less than 2 micronRa, or 75 microinchRa. This technology will be available for most Makino sinker EDMs. We'll be broadcasting an online seminar on our Titanium booster technology this Thursday, January 22, 2009. If you'd like to attend and learn more about these advancements in titanium machining, you can register for free here. Thanks for reading everybody, hope to see you at this weeks seminar!

Advancements in EDM technology from Makino

Your DisplayName here! — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:29:43 GMT

Makino EDM introduced some new technology at IMTS. For Wire EDM, we presented the new DUO43 and DUO64 WEDMs. These machines will replace the SP series, and have several improvements of note. The DUO series machines are about 20% smaller in footprint than the SPs were, but retain the same X, Y, Z, U, V axis travels. The bed of the machines have been redesigned to incorporate the clean and dirty tanks into the same platform as the machine tool. New technologies will give the machine about a 20% increase in performance in many applications, and we have specifically designed .012" wire technologies to address both speed and performance with larger diameter wires. This is the only WEDM made that offers a choice of wire guide systems, either our proven Split Precision V Guides or the new PICO Precision Guides for small hole/close pitch threading and precision land/taper work for fine blanking and precision stamping dies.

On the sinker side, our newest advancements are a titanium specific generator, and Super Spark Graphite. The titanium generator allows high speed burning of titanium parts, specifically at the request of a major aerospace manufacturer, while maintaining surface integrity of the parts being machined. Super Spark Graphite is a new technology that drastically reduces burn time in deep cavities, while reducing electrode wear. In some cases, Super Spark Graphite allows EDMing of details that were impossible to do with older, standard technologies. One example of this that was on display at IMTS is a blind hole machined with a 5mm (0.197") square electrode to a depth of 200mm (7.874"). The fact that this can even be done at all is amazing, but it took only 20 hours (with no external flushing) and had around 20% wear on the roughing electrode (1st of 3 electrodes total).

For more information on these and other technological advancements in EDM from Makino, go to www.makino.com, or contact me at jeff.kiszonas@makino.com.

Customer Satisfaction

Your DisplayName here! — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 17:12:57 GMT

This came into our applications department recently from a new EDGE2 customer:

"Thanks for sending the test document on the Ultra-fine Circuit program. It was a big help, along with the input on looking at the block by block function in the diagnose screen. I now have a lot better understanding of how time control breaks down into segments and how much time I'm actually spending on each portion of each process. It was also interesting on how MC Method 13 has 3 segments to each process and Method 93 has 7 segments. It still amazes me on how the operator has virtually an unlimited amount of options when it comes to programming. The amount of information that's available to monitor every portion of the burn is a big benefit that was unheard of with our old machine. Every day I'm more and more convinced we made the right decision in going with Makino. Thank You."

This customer does a lot of carbide punch back-burning, and has seen a dramatic decrease in processing time on the Makino EDGE2 as compared to the other sinker they had been using. They also do a lot of carbide face details, and have seen improvements in surface finish, surface integrity, and geometric accuracy in these applications. We did a webinar on the back-burning process back in October 2007, entitled Back Burning Punches. This webinar, along with our entire webinar archive, can be viewed for free at www.makino.com/library.

An Update on Our Aerospace Material Testing

Your DisplayName here! — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:01:16 GMT

I've mentioned in the past that Makino is doing materials testing of aerospace alloys that have been processed with EDM. Makino has shown 2 webinars addressing this topic. I will be presenting more information on this topic as a speaker at this year's IMTS in Chicago, IL on Wednesday, September 10 at 10:00 a.m. Makino EDM has had testing done on several different aerospace alloys, having just added Inconel 718 to the list of tested materials. Other alloys previously tested for HAZ, recast, micro-cracking, and Vickers Micro-hardness include 6061-T6 aluminum, 17-4 stainless, and 6Al-4V titanium. Be sure to stop by the Business and Technology Forum to see results of the latest testing performed by a NADCAP certified lab.

Wire EDM testing in progress...results soon to come.

Your DisplayName here! — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 21:57:37 GMT

I've mentioned this before here, but I want to remind everyone that Makino is doing some interesting materials testing related to EDM and aerospace manufacturing. We've already had a lot of Wire EDM testing done - 18 samples, 3 different alloys (17-4PH, AL6-4V, 6061-T6), 1, 2, and 3 pass machining. Tests performed were recast thickness, Heat Affected Zone thickness, micro cracks, and Vickers Micro Hardness. We've seen some very impressive results that you can see in our webinar archives at Makino.com . We are now in the process of testing the same 3 alloys, same tests, but with Sinker EDM burns. We'll be adding Inconel 713 in the very near future. I'll have results from these tests in the next couple of weeks, and I'll presenting this data at the Montreal Machine Technology Show on Tuesday, May 13. Anyone interested in these types of tests should stop by if you're attending the show. I'll also be supporting our Canadian distributor, SST-Canada, in their booth, number 332. If you're at the show, stop by either the technical presentation on Tuesday morning, or the SST booth to say hi. If you'd like a copy of the test results of what we've done so far, just send me an email and I'll send you a copy.

New version of Machining Conditions is now available.

Your DisplayName here! — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:08:08 GMT

There is a new version of Machining Conditions now available for all SP-Series Wire EDM's. This is Ver 501, and it provides settings for 3 Pass HEAT technology, more Precision Steel technology, and more Carbide technology. The third pass HEAT technology adds a finishing pass, while the Steel and Carbide technologies have expanded settings up to 6 inch tall material. Please contact Makino Technical support for more details at 888-MAKINO4 (625-4664).

Case Study in the next CMM

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 21:42:21 GMT

In the next issue of Competitive Mold Maker, we're going to feature a case study of a shop in Wisconsin using an SP43 with HEAT to create innovative mold locks.

We'll link to the case study as soon as it's up!

HEAT on the cover of EDM Today!

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 21:41:21 GMT

Featured in the next issue of EDM Today is Tom Frick of Intricate EDM, a HEAT user. Check his story out in the next issue!

Question: What about three pass machining?

Fri, 11 May 2007 21:38:12 GMT

Makino will soon be releasing HEAT Technology for 3 pass machining. Originally developed for 2 pass part processing in order to provide greater speed in poor flushing conditions, HEAT has been received with great enthusiasm by shops that require fast burn times and high accuracy, but may not need superior surface finishes. At the request of some of these customers, Makino developed settings for a third pass using HEAT for those jobs that require a finer finish as well. Current 2 pass settings can achieve 80 micro inch RA, while the third pass settings will be able to provide finishes of 50-55 micro inch RA. These figures are specifically for machining in tool steels.

Reduced set up times?

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 21:36:45 GMT

I recently spoke to a HEAT customer who informed me that he has reduced set-up time on one job from almost 3 hours to about 1/2 hour because of HEAT. Even though the work piece for this job is flat on top and bottom allowing for good sealed flushing, by using HEAT Technology, he was able to move the flushing nozzles away from the work piece far enough to clear the clamps that were used to hold the work piece. Now instead of having to plan work piece holding/clamping in order to avoid the upper head hitting the clamps, he simply does his set-up however is convenient, uses HEAT settings instead of standard technology, and runs his parts with the flushing nozzles moved away from the work piece surface. He is also able to realize shorter process times with faster burns while also consuming less wire. This means shorter lead times and higher profits.

Question: What are all the components of HEAT?

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 20:52:04 GMT

A: It is the combination of different Makino adaptive control technologies that have been combined to create a much faster machining and straightness accuracies with poor flushing conditions. This technology is a total revamping of our existing poor flush technology (Both Away…for both nozzles away from work piece). Makino has been able to better the straightness accuracy while greatly reducing cycle time under poor flushing conditions… which is a very difficult thing to do! We have greatly increased flushing pressure, and we have updated this poor flush technology to include some of our newer adaptive technologies:

BellyWIZARD: Improves part straightness thru adaptive and mechanical adaptive controls…this technology was originally developed and is part of our standard machining technology library for “optimum” flush conditions (High Speed and Precision settings). It has been incorporated into the HEAT technology and is a critical part of machining straighter parts.

PowerWIZARD: Improves and stabilizes the machining power to prevent wire breaks and to help improve accuracies. For the HEAT technology, this adaptive control has been set to be more sensitive, so that this technology will be more reactive to changes in both flushing and material thickness changes.

CornerWIZARD: Improves the geometric shaped and corner tolerance of the work piece. For HEAT technology, this adaptive control has been modified to accommodate the increases in both machining speed and flushing pressure.

FlushingWIZARD: This includes the two independently monitored and adaptive flush pumps that are each dedicated to the upper and lower machining heads. Each pump will sense and adapt to changes in “flushing dynamics” of the cut more quickly than any of our competitors (our competition only uses one pump), and this aids in maintaining machining speed as well as to prevent wire breaks. For HEAT technology, the flushing pressure has been greatly increased, which is a key factor in reducing cycle time.

What about wire usage?

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 20:44:12 GMT

Makino SP series machines are already known for using less wire than other machines in the same class on like jobs. With HEAT technology providing faster cut times in many applications, this will help to even further reduce wire consumption by these machines. With brass wire costing around $6.00 to $6.50 per pound, this can result in substantial savings for those shops that use the SP series machines with HEAT. EDM Sales & Supplies (1-800-EDM-SAVE) also offers a proprietary coated wire called Versacut-H that will further reduce process times on any WEDM regardless of manufacturer. This wire was developed exclusively for Makino to compliment the HEAT system. Combined with HEAT Technology on the Makino SP series machines, our customers have seen as much as 52% reduction in process times on some jobs. Contact Makino EDM Applications, EDM Sales & Supplies, or Jeff Kiszonas to get more details.

What is WIZARD technology?

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 21:42:18 GMT

Part of the reason HEAT is so effective is due to the WIZARD technology already built into Makino Wire EDMs. Here's an explaination of what that is:

Check out a HEAT story on the cover of Manufacturing News!

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 21:38:08 GMT

Keep your eye out for the next edition of Manufacturing News (SE, SW, Midwest and NE). Intricate EDM, a shop using HEAT on their SP43, is featured on the cover.

They're acheiving amazing results with this new technology!

Question: What is the accuracy and straightness of HEAT technology with 2 pass machining?

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 21:36:55 GMT

The general accuracy rating for HEAT at 4.0” tall is:

Accuracy:
±0.0002” (±5µm)

Straightness:
0.0002” (5µm) total – T.I.R.

Question: What is the accuracy and straightness of HEAT technology with 1 pass machining?

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 21:27:21 GMT

The general accuracy rating for HEAT at 4.0” (152mm) tall is:

Accuracy:
±0.0003” (±7µm)

Straightness:
0.0005” (12µm) total – T.I.R.

Question: How many machining passes are available with HEAT?

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 21:22:58 GMT

HEAT has been developed for 1 and 2 pass machining. This available process and technology will meet or exceed conventional systems results for both accuracy and straightness. A large majority of job tolerances will be meet or exceeded with this available technology.

Detroit Customer

Wed, 27 Dec 2006 21:19:26 GMT

An account emailed to me from one of our field guys--

We just did a test cut for a local Detroit company using HEAT. This was a HEAT Technology test cut, and I am very pleased with our results. This customer currently uses a competitor's machine to cut this part. We beat the other machine's roughing speed by about 30%...and the amazing thing is that this comparison is with the other machine using 0.012” brass wire and the Makino using 0.010” brass wire!

Our roughing feedrate was about 0.050” per minute, and the customer has told me that they typical rough at about 0.035” per minute. This customer visited us recently to see the cut, and our estimated time of 8hr 10min using .010 wire was about 20-30 minutes faster than the estimated time on his other machine using 0.012 wire. The estimated time on the SP43 with .012 brass wire came out to 6 hours 57 minutes. Our actual time using 0.010” wire was 7hr 30min!

Question: What type of materials can be cut with the HEAT technology?

Mon, 18 Dec 2006 21:14:10 GMT

HEAT technology has only been developed for steel materials, which include: Tool Steels, Stainless Steel, High Alloy Steels, Titanium, and Exotics. Thicknesses ranging from 1.0” to 12.0” are available (25mm to 300mm).

Question: Will HEAT increase good flush (optimum flush) settings?

Mon, 18 Dec 2006 21:12:47 GMT

No. HEAT technology only applies to poor flush conditions, and cannot be combined with the standard “High Speed” optimum flush condition technology. However, a very large majority of jobs do not allow for optimum flushing, so the HEAT technology is very attractive and can be used for a large number of jobs.

Question: Is HEAT the fastest cutting speed on the machine?

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 21:06:04 GMT

No! HEAT technology greatly increases the machining speeds of poor flushing conditions, but it does not reflect the fastest machining speed. We have dedicated “High Speed” machining technology that reflects the fastest machining speeds…which requires and utilizes “optimum” flushing conditions, and uses higher flushing pressures of 1.2 - 1.6 Mpa (174 – 232 psi).

Webcast TOMORROW on HEAT

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 20:25:02 GMT

Tomorrow we'll be presenting a webcast on HEAT at www.makino.com/events (or click the icon on the home page).

Nick Casbar, our National Sales Manager, will be presenting the basic features. Then he'll turn it over to a shop owner using HEAT that is experiencing amazing results!

Question: How are the HEAT nozzels set up for machining?

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 20:21:44 GMT

The new HEAT nozzles are typically set to within 0.300” of the work piece, which can easily be an “eye-balled” operation. This makes setups easy and fast, and actually helps to make operation safer by eliminating the potential of machine crashes of the machining nozzles into the work piece or into clamping/fixturing.

Keep those questions coming to Jeff.Kiszonas@makino.com!

Another testimonial...

Wed, 22 Nov 2006 20:18:30 GMT

I just spoke with another HEAT customer, and he was VERY pleased with his test cut results...

He told me that he currently cuts this on a competitor's machine, and his cycle time is about 40 hours…compared to our 16 hours! So that’s a 60% reduction in cycle time! This customer also stated that he has cut these parts in a different model machine from the same competitor in about 36 hours. He wasn’t sure if there was something that he or his setup guy was doing wrong on his machines, but he did state that because the plates are not perfectly flat, they typically set the upper head to within 0.015” of the highest point on the plates. I also discussed with the customer that our HEAT technology does not require sealed off conditions, and that our heads (upper and lower) were set to about 0.300” away from the plates. He seemed impressed with this, and he realized that this would make for easier setups within the machine. He also stated that a lot of their work (surgical instruments) has poor flushing conditions, so HEAT could possibly help him out in a very big way!

Competitor's machine: 40 hours
Another competitor's machine (same manufacturer with a newer, upgraded technology): 36 hours
Makino SP43 with HEAT: 16 hours…wow!!!

If you'd like to try HEAT, or have a testimonial to share, please email me at Jeff.Kiszonas@makino.com.

Question: What does the HEAT modification entail? (For existing SP-Series users…retrofit)

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 16:09:11 GMT

The HEAT modifications/upgrades for existing machines include 5 items:

New (special) nozzles
Pump/Plumbing modification
Replacement of mechanical filtration pressure sensor with a new digital sensor
New controller software
New machining conditions (power settings library)

What type of flush does HEAT use?

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 15:57:03 GMT

A good question submitted the other day... here's the answer.

HEAT technology greatly increases the flushing pressure during non-optimum (poor flush) conditions. The standard poor flush technology (Both Away) uses pressures of 0.25 Mpa (36psi), where the HEAT technology uses 1.0Mpa (145psi)!

What is a good flushing condition?

Mon, 13 Nov 2006 15:55:00 GMT

Received this question over the weekend. Here's a quick answer:

A machining condition that has a work piece that is completely flat on both sides (top & bottom) so that the machining nozzles can both be set to within under 0.008” (set to 0.020” on Makino). This close setting of the machine nozzles, which is very sensitive and critical, is done with the aid of a metal shim or gage. In addition to the work piece being completely flat, their must also exist a 0.200” wide zone of material all the way around the working geometry/shape to maintain seal-off and maintain flushing pressure, and their can be no thru or cross hole interruptions during the machining process (work piece and cut are thru completely solid materials). Any changes in any of these conditions will contribute to part inaccuracies, wire breaks, and greatly reduced machining speeds.

That really begs the question - what is a poor flushing conditon?

A poor flushing condition is any cut or process that does not allow one or both of the machining nozzles to be set to within the “optimum” nozzle setting of under 0.008” to the work piece. Poor flush typically involves non-flat work pieces that may include changes in part thickness, machined steps, thru holes, cross holes, counter-bores, etc. Poor flush can also occur in a completely flat work piece as a result of the work holding setup. It is quite common to see a completely flat work piece not allow one or both of the machining nozzles to be set to within the “optimum” flush condition height as a result of the nozzles needing to be raised away from the work piece to provide clearance for work holding and clamping.

Now add in HEAT wire...

Tue, 07 Nov 2006 15:51:40 GMT

A follow-up to the entry dated Friday, October 20, "Email from an Application Engineer"

The engineer who sent the original email notified me of the following.

The user initially saw a 35% reduction in machining time over the conventional wire EDM processes. The job originally took 9hrs 36min, and now is running at 6hrs 36min using HEAT.

This same customer started using special HEAT wire from EDM Sales & Supplies on this job, and has been able to further reduce the machining time on this job to just 4hrs 39min - a 52 percent decrease in total machining time!

While HEAT doesn't require special wire, the HEAT wire will improve even further your speed in poor flushing conditions.

For a time-sensitve project or a job shop enviornment, these kind of savings are invaluable! For more info on EDM Sales and Supply, visit their website edmsave.com.

HEAT webcast available as archive

Fri, 03 Nov 2006 14:21:30 GMT

Received a question asking about the HEAT webcast we did a few weeks back. You can view it by registering here.

Also, we're going to have an updated webcast with a customer using HEAT talking about his experiences on Dec. 7 at 11 a.m. Eastern. You can register to attend that here.

You can submit any questions or HEAT testimonals by emailing Jeff.Kiszonas@makino.com.

More info on a customer install

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 22:36:19 GMT

A few more details on the application we talked about last week -

On the SP43 EZ-Cut was set at + 10% for the rough-cut on SP43. This makes the machine cut a little more aggressively than what standard technology would allow. EZ-Cut is represented on screen as a simple sliding scale. If moved to the negative side of zero, the cut can be set to be less aggressive, if it is set to the positive side of zero, the cut becomes more aggressive.

The technology for .012" hard brass wire for cutting steel available on the competitor's machine had only two settings for the rough-cut. One setting is designed for high speed rough-cut with nozzles sealed against the part and minimum radius of .500" for the shape to be cut.

The second setting is fast rough-cut for any contours but with nozzles sealed. In this particular test the lower nozzle was not sealed against the part (.800" gap).

The threading cycle on the other machine is very slow compared to Makino's "RETRY 3" rethreading function.

The customer's impression is that the Makino control is user more friendly than our competitor. Here are some of the customer's first comments:

Faster speed during a jog.
Faster threading cycle.
Faster cutting speed.
No wire breakage.
Less consumption of wire.
Wire guides have a longer life.
12000 hours for Makino.
3000 hours for Competitor.

We will post more real world results as HEAT is installed in an ever widening base of customers!

The testimonials keep coming...

Tue, 24 Oct 2006 22:26:08 GMT

Just received this email:

We just installed a new Makino SP43 with HEAT and held operator training at a customer in the South. This customer also has a competitor's machine.

Both machines were setup with .012" hard brass wire. Openings were cut on the left side of the blank. The left side was 2.000" thick verses 1.5" average thickness on the right side, so this cut was ideal for the HEAT technology because of the varying thickness.

Initial cuts are showing a marked time improvement - faster by 20+ percent than the competitor's machine. More to come later this week after the customer gets going on a test run.

Email from an Applications Engineer

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 22:23:27 GMT

A recent account of a HEAT retrofit at a Makino SP43 owner:

Today I installed HEAT at one of our new customers. When I first tried to copy the .010" e conditions it produced an error that indicated there was not enough room. I deleted all conditions from 9000 thru 9099. This opened enough space.

We decided to use the special pump parameters on the first job. It was not "both" away but "one" away. It was a 2" tall piece of cast stainless steel, a repeat production job, 24 pieces this time. The cut time had been 1:04 for the part done the day before. High speed 1.2 was used but the part was in a fixture that put the bottom of the part .5" above 0. The est. cut speed was .137"/min. The actual cut speed was about .084"/min. when using standard conditions and pump parameters. I used the same 1.2 e condition and put the steel laminar nozzle on the bottom where the bad flush was. I kept the steel sealed off nozzle in the top because it was sealed off. The cut speed increased from .084"/min to about .124"/min. This is a dramatic increase. He has a fixture that holds nine parts, which had a total cut time of 9 hours 36 min. Using the enhanced flushing brought the per part time from 1:04 down to 44 minutes. This made the time to cut a complete fixture 6 hours 36 mins. This is better than a 35% time savings. The customer is very excited about this!

Kevin Most
Applications Engineer

Can I add HEAT to my machine?

Mon, 16 Oct 2006 21:45:42 GMT

Received a question asking if HEAT could be added to an existing machine.

Yes, it can. We can upgrade any existing Makino SP-series Wire EDM pretty easily, turbo-charging your speed in poor flushing conditions.

If you want to discuss this, feel free to contact me.

Problems with rollers, belts, etc.?

Mon, 09 Oct 2006 21:39:54 GMT

I received a question asking if special wire is required for HEAT and if there were any problems associated with rollers, belts, etc.

There are wires optimized for HEAT, but in general HEAT provides for faster cutting in real world applications without using large diameter or special coated wire.

HEAT can be used with both standard brass and coated wires (paraffin, non-paraffin, and high zinc). The sealed flushing process can be utilized on any Makino wire EDM machine designed for HEAT, and does not require multiple or dedicated machines specific to desired speeds.

A big problem in wire EDM machines is rollers and bearings failing. HEAT includes a patented wire drying system which eliminates the replacement of rollers and bearings. It also includes a filtration process to address high metal removal.

HEAT machines also require no special belts or belt replacements.

Applying Heat

Thu, 05 Oct 2006 21:36:18 GMT

HEAT is a perfect EDM solution for poor flushing situations with detached upper and lower nozzles, as well as machining varying part thickness along the cut path. It is ideal for medical hand tools and piece parts, aerospace housings, jigs and holding fixtures.

HEAT can also enhance small volume parts production of stamping die insert blocks, variable thickness punches, mold cores, inserts and slide blocks. It is also ideal for flat, uniform parts such as stamping die blocks, punch retainers, stripper plates, mold core inserts and mold base components.

Using 0.010 or 0.012 inch diameter wire, HEAT can achieve part straightness of 0.0003 inches per side in one pass machining, and 0.0001 inches with two passes. Accuracies of 0.0005 inches can be achieved with one pass, and 0.0003 inches with two passes.

Parts suited for HEAT

Mon, 02 Oct 2006 21:35:22 GMT

You may be asking yourself, what kinds of parts are suited for HEAT? Below is a picture, but in general any part that has lots of cuts, through-holes, and other complex features. If you’re cutting flat-plate work, HEAT won’t give you much benefit. If you’re cutting a part that is complicated and the nozzles can’t seal against the part, you can expect significant (30-50%) time savings using HEAT.

H.E.A.T. - High Energy Applied Technology

Mon, 02 Oct 2006 21:31:55 GMT

For all those wondering, HEAT stands for High Energy Applied Technology.

The practical utilization of this high performance machining technology enhances machining speeds up to 40 percent as compared to competitive machining performance.

HEAT also provides a 60 percent improvement in part accuracy and straightness over competitive technologies when compared to the same number of machining passes.

It’ll work as a retrofit on any of Makino’s SP43 and SP64 Wire EDM machines, and is available as an option on new SP43s and SP64s.

In later posts, we’ll talk about how HEAT is different from conventional wire EDM technologies and its performance in real-world applications. You can also email me any questions about HEAT at Jeff.Kiszonas@Makino.com.