Cleaning the crud from Wire EDM machines

Al Wright · Aug 25, 2006

Our EDM machines end up very dirty after many hours of running. We use only stratified wire, and the nasty film, mostly by-pruducts of the metal kerfs and the burned wire gets into every crevice. Years ago, Charmilles told us to use an acid based cleaner like Limeaway, but lately they seem to have backed away from that statement. Now they say to just use a pressure washer. I can understand why they wouldn't endorse using the Limeaway for a use inconsistent with labeling, but it's just about all I've used that actually works. The recommendation to use a pressure washer with no claning agent is crap, it just doesn't work, except for taking the paint off.
I'm looking for any suggestions here that work. I basically use a barbeque scouring pad and the acid, which works fine for most cleaning, but it will wreck anything it comes into contact with, (including eating our 3R vise if left too long in it. Ouch!)not to mention what it does to the water.
What do you use or recommend?

SeymourDumore · Aug 25, 2006

Limeaway, professional Extra-strength.
Couldn't care less about the naysayers, doubters, worry warts. The thing works every time, all the time.
Never ever would I consider using even scotchbrite, let alone metal scouring pad. Wet sponge, toothbrush and cloth towel. Don't spray the limeaway, either put it on the sponge/brush or apply directly to the area only. When clean, wash with lots of water, then fill the tank completely and run the pumps for 10-20 minutes.
I do this every 3-4 months. No rust anywhere, same original diamond guides and all ceramic parts. Paint chipped in 1 place only due to a ding I've dinged! No scratchmarks from scrubbies.
Love that Limeaway!
By the way, I did try some "earth and skin" friendly stuff once. Piece of crap rusted the bottom of my tank, stunk to high heavens and gone bad in 4 months. Can't remember the name though, but my $.02 goes for limeaway.

sharpe428 · Aug 25, 2006

Another good one to try is Enviro-Clean,from MC machinery.

Space · Aug 27, 2006

We have had good luck using Simple Green Lime and Scale remover. It's so acidic that you need to wear gloves, but does a good job of cleaning the machine. Mark

buffetking · Aug 28, 2006

I use Lime-Away and 409 cleaner. Be sure to flush the area's cleaned with Lime-away with water. Be careful cleaning groung wires and power wires connected to the guide heads. Over time they will get brittle if you use too much acidic cleaner on them. I disassemble and clean the guide heads, Capstan roller assembly and AWF unit every three months. Don't try to clean everything on the machine, just what really counts. Never use scour pads.

Brian M. · Aug 28, 2006

Soak up all the cleaner with paper towels and throw away before rinsing.

Andrew S · Aug 29, 2006

Check that the chemicals you use are going to be compatible with the seals in your pumps I almost made a bad choice - check with punp supplyer.The chemical engineer who supplied my cleaner did these checks for me.
Andrew S

Jay Cee · Sep 5, 2006

I second the AC-500 recommendation. I dilute 10 to 1 (Water to AC-500) and put it in a spray bottle for machine clean-up. I dilute 5 to 1 for use in my ultrasonic. A jug of that stuff will last you two years...
I have used it on Agie, Mits, Fanuc, Makino, Sodick, and Charmilles with no ill side efects.
I was told that the Phosphoric acid is able to be picked up by the filters easier than other acids. Course, it could have been a salesman that told me that. Are the other cleaners mentioned phosphoric??

Barry Ward · Sep 7, 2006

Phosphoric Acid is useful around steel and stainless steel.

Products like OSPHO (Rust Remover) convert the iron oxide to iron phosphate and inhibit further rusting.

You use phosphoric acid to electropolish stainless. (OT) Try it sometime.

Barry
http://www.barryfish.com

chino-71-zx · Sep 22, 2006

Call Belmont EDM and try their EZ KLEAN..just spray, let it set a few minutes and either wipe or spray down...

http://www.belmont4edm.com/

Jeff

BrianH · Sep 30, 2006

Another vote for Limeaway. Sometimes a janitorial strength cleaner and elbow grease works good too. Scotchbrite on the rails.

imported_D_C · Nov 14, 2006

Have a Grainger Catalog?

Get a bottle of Acti-Brite. Its pink concentrate in a gallon jug. That gallon jug should last a year (maybe more) if you clean your tank out 2 times a month.

Whatever you use, be real careful with the liquid going down the drain. Most "Acids" will eat up a DI bottle.

Always wear latex gloves. Most cleaners hurt like &$&@($*^ if you get the cleaner in cuts.

D_C

Dave (Wire EDM'r) · Jan 17, 2007

Sno-Bowl toilet cleaner is a mild acid/soap cleaner that we use on our Mitsu's. Dampen a rag and wipe on, the EDM "rust" comes off quick & easy. Use just enough to spare the DI bottle. We prefer the DI to take a small hit rather that leaving any excess phosphoric floating about. 15 years later, our HA's look like the day they were delivered. We completely disassemble the lower head every 500 hours and clean most of the pieces outside the machine. Otherwise, they get wiped after ever job with just a wet rag to remove most of the crud immediately, before it can dry. I second the glove comment and an acid mask and goggle's don't hurt either on the big job of cleaning the water unit.

EDM AE · Jan 18, 2007

Check out VersaKleen from EDM Sales and Supply. It works as good as Phosphoric acid solutions I've used, but is Non-acidic, non-corrosive, biodegradable. I think it's about $15 for a quart spray bottle, $45 or so for a gallon.
www.edmsave.com

Michael Lee Meadows · Jan 31, 2007

I am all for lime away or AC500
I use lime away once a week to clean the cabin of my wire machine then hose it down. Now the AC 500 I use right in the dirty water tank of my machine once every 6 months. Take a 1 gallon container of AC 500 and let it run through your machine overnight come in the next day and drain your machine and refill the resevoir, Change your filters and your DI bottle and your machines lines as well as everything else are pretty clean. I definetly would not use EZ clean I've had it destroy the diamond Guides in my charmilles

glbreil · Jul 1, 2009

I have been reading old posts on cleaning. My machine is quite old yet it is very clean at a glance, but there is a coating in all of the screw holes and cracks and places that can't be wiped easily.

Will the lime away or AC 500 work on these places where the crud is pretty thick and do you just apply it the those places specically?

Could you give a little explanation about how you would clean those areas that have been neglected in the past.

It seems that most of what I have found about cleaning is more about how to keep it clean than to get it clean if it has been let go.

Any advise is appreciated. Gary

Dan Fox · Jul 1, 2009

Gary-

If the tapped holes in the rails are really packed full, I've gone after them with a drill & tap. Just chuck up an F or G drill, and drill through the crud with light pressure. It'll be pretty obvious when you're bottomed out - not much chance of damaging the bottom of the hole! Then just chase the threads with an M8 x 1.25 tap and use a shop - vac to get rid of all the pieces.

As far as cracks and crevices, I use a toothbrush, scotch-brite and water. If the build-up is pretty thick, I'll go after it with a dental pick. I only use chemicals for cleaning on pieces that I've disassembled and have on the bench. They get a thorough rinse before going back in the machine.

Dan

CT Tech · Jul 2, 2009

ive used Lime Away before ,i still use it. Remove the guides,which are in 2 pieces glued together. Besides that,,..Elbow grease and you should be OK.

KilrB · Jul 2, 2009

Simple Green and elbow grease do the job around here.

groovitude · Jul 2, 2009

I have been trying to get my company to buy us a dry ice blaster for months now with no success. This seems like the ideal tool for my shop because our wires run non stop (or at least they used to until recently, danged economy! lol) and tend to develop a buildup of *crud* that at times can be as thick as a 16th of an inch. Lot's of elbow grease just to get it 1/2 way clean & then another *rush* job comes in. My machines are desperately needing cleaning, but I am not given the time or the manpower needed, which is why I want the dry ice blaster. It seems logical to me that this is the tool to use, but management has never had to clean a severely dirty edm machine and will not authorise the expenditure even though I have given them a clear idea of how much money and time it would save. They are idiots. I would urge you to check out any of the videos about *dry ice blasting* on youtube.
I am only making a guess here, but from what I have seen, it should reduce cleanup time from a couple of hours, down to about 15 minutes including the time used to vacuum up the dust/particles.
Just be sure to use a mask.

regards

Bruce

Cleaning the crud from Wire EDM machines

Plastic

Diamond

Aluminum

Cast Iron

Plastic

Plastic

Plastic

Hot Rolled

Plastic

Plastic

Cast Iron

Plastic

Plastic

Aluminum

Plastic

Cast Iron

Aluminum

Plastic

Stainless

Aluminum

Similar threads