EDM drilling in Carbide

[Rasmus]

does anyone have experience with shooting holes in carbide, with water cooling?
How important is the temperature of the water? I have been recommended 59 farenheit


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[Red James]

If you are asking about edm drilling with a hole popper, the water temp will not have much to do with drilling the hole. Expect a lot of electrode wear.

 

[SeymourDumore]

Like James said, water temp has virtually nothing to do with drilling Carbide.
It will suck if you're used to drilling Stainless.
Copper electrode, use single channel if possible.
If you have many holes to drill, don't settle for a "suggested" setting ( assuming you have a reasonable control over generator parameters)
For one-offs, I just set it to something and drool over how uselessly little I can drill with a full 16" electrode.
When it comes to production, I dick with the settings until .... Well, let's just say that have had a 250 piece 1" carbide ball drilling job, 2.7mm ( opened the hole on the wire later to .125 )
The first ball ate practically 2 trodes to go through.
After a 4-5 hour battle of playing with settings, I've ended up with a 10% electrode wear, giving me 15 balls/trode, at the cost of something like 8 minutes/hole.

Disclaimer: This is on a 75A generator machine, so I did have plenty power to put into it.

 

[Rasmus]

Like James said, water temp has virtually nothing to do with drilling Carbide.
It will suck if you're used to drilling Stainless.
Copper electrode, use single channel if possible.
If you have many holes to drill, don't settle for a "suggested" setting ( assuming you have a reasonable control over generator parameters)
For one-offs, I just set it to something and drool over how uselessly little I can drill with a full 16" electrode.
When it comes to production, I dick with the settings until .... Well, let's just say that have had a 250 piece 1" carbide ball drilling job, 2.7mm ( opened the hole on the wire later to .125 )
The first ball ate practically 2 trodes to go through.
After a 4-5 hour battle of playing with settings, I've ended up with a 10% electrode wear, giving me 15 balls/trode, at the cost of something like 8 minutes/hole.

Disclaimer: This is on a 75A generator machine, so I did have plenty power to put into it.

Thanks Seymour.
It is also my experience. default settings require much adjustment. but with a little (sometimes a lot) of patience it goes.


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[JayCrumb]

I would add that water based fast-hole EDM on carbide leads to a LOT of cobalt depletion.
If you are looking to use these holes for anything other than WEDM start holes, I would seriously consider oil based dielectric.
Even if they are WEDM start holes, I would be sure to leave at least half the hole diameter again for WEDM clean-up.


Jay Crumb
Advanced EDM, LLC
[email protected]

 

[Girl23]

Anyone have experience withe the Agie Hole popper. We have had ours now for two years and it still gives us a lot of trouble with drilling carbide. Came in this morning and electrode had twisted and burned in half and had sat there spinning around and around on the guide. Luckily part was unharmed. Any suggestions?

 

[KilrB]

Anyone have experience withe the Agie Hole popper. We have had ours now for two years and it still gives us a lot of trouble with drilling carbide. Came in this morning and electrode had twisted and burned in half and had sat there spinning around and around on the guide. Luckily part was unharmed. Any suggestions?

Which one?

 

[Girl23]

Agie Charmille Drill 20

 

[JayCrumb]

Is the electrode/workpiece all blacked and arc'd at point of burn?
If so, settings are wrong, you are arcing and creating a non-conductive spot on electrode/workpiece and the machine isn't sensing need to back up.
Does that machine use water, oil, or additive in water for dielectric?

Jay Crumb
Advanced EDM, LLC

 

[Girl23]

Our machine uses water. I agree settings need adjusting, just dont know which ones to adjust. Our electrodes will drill the first hole great then the next it will just sit there and peck.

 

[agieman]

Hi Girl, do you have a DI bottle on the Drill? if so, when was it last changed? Also, there are 3 different types of carbide listed in the tec. i can send you a cross reference chart i made up.

 

[coltonmccallen]

Just got a Drill 20 Hoping you could send me that cross reference chart for carbide?