Wire eroding thin aluminium plate

[Bob-]

Trying to wire erode some 1.5 and 2mm aluminium plate that is clamped across the machine bed. Managed to cut it eventually but especially in the middle the plate was flexing and causing the wire to snap a lot.

Just wondering if anyone can help with how to make the plate more sturdy or what parameters to change to help cutting? Using a Agie Charmilles Cut E350 and was manually adjusting the max speed as when I let it cut on its own it wants to ramp through the material so fast it snaps straight away.

 

[pr0xify]

Sandwich the plate between 2 1/8 alum pieces or fixture it on just one of the alum backer plates.

Not sure about your machine but lowering flushing pressure would help reduce flexing, as there is no deflection caused by the wire itself.

However, the flexing could be due to how you planned your cut. Where you led into/out of the stock. Sometimes cutaway areas droop.

Sometimes I "glue as I go" to keep everything rigid. Hot glue and super glue are great. Usually a few dabs of it is sufficient.


I'd have to see more about it to help you.

 

[RJT]

Are you starting from an outside edge, or a start hole? Yes, make a sandwich to stiffen your part and start from a hole, not and edge.

 

[precisionmetal]

Have you tried flushing pressure from the top nozzle and suction from the bottom nozzle?

PM

 

[Luke.kerbey]

Half the on time and turn the flush pressure down a fair way, you may be getting a amount of vibration in the plate. I cut 0.8mm copper all the time with high success doing this.