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New to EDM

Carson

Plastic
Joined
Oct 23, 2009
Location
Eastern USA
Wire EDM. What determines the wire speed passing through/by the material being cut ?
I looked many places for this aspect of the process, but found nothing.
Is the wire dia measured departing the cut to check the erosion then sped up or slowed to a desired rate ?
Is the wire speed controlled automatically somehow ?
What are the determining factors for the wire speed from the spool.
Thanks
 
I was new to wire edm 3 years ago, i highly suggest reading

"The EDM Handbook" - by E. Bud. Guitrau

and

"WIRE EDM HANDBOOK" - by Carl & Steve Sommer

Also pickup a subscription to "EDM Today" free, with HUGE amounts of information. Also all the past issues for the last 12 years are available on their website, EDM Today Issue Archives | EDM Today Magazine

Huge amounts of good information and they will help answer those questions.

Basically the manufacturer of your machine has created technologies(recipes) for good results. Determined wire speed, feeds, number of passes, and energy used in the cut to give good results.
 
Welcome.
The thickness and material being eroded dictates wire speed, as well as the diameter of the wire being used. Different manufactures and different models will each have recommended speeds. Newer machines will actually tilt the wire very slightly to account for the wire (electrode) wear at the bottom of the part. Older machines, straightness is accomplished by more skim cuts after the initial cut. You can vary the speed of the wire ,but it is not usually necessary if you follow the recommendation from the manufacturer.
 
I also recommend getting - on google books - Electrical Discharge Machining by Elman C Jameson. If you have a tablet to read it on its an excellent resource. The hardcover, however, is incredibly rare and nauseatingly expensive.
 
^ What they said.

Once you establish a wire speed that works, just expirement. Wire speed increase = more stability. Wire speed decrease = less stable but it saves a few dollars.

It's more important to have the wire tension dialed in. With the wire speed, it'll basically work or it wont.
 








 
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