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Wire EDM of Metal printed parts from base plate

david_31

Plastic
Joined
Sep 12, 2016
Can someone advise on the standard procedure for Metal Sintered support structure removal from the base plate with Wire EDM...
Is the interface between the bottom of the support structures and the build plate processed, or is the whole surface area of the build plate processed?
 
I usually cut the parts off about .010"-.015" off the plate then we put the plate in a Haas mill and hit it with a fairly large diameter fly cutter. It def chews up some inserts but it's the best solution we've found so far. Not exactly sure what kind of parts you're building and what the plate looks like but that's how we do it. We're using 10x10 build plates....fairly cheap ones as well.
 
Can someone advise on the standard procedure for Metal Sintered support structure removal from the base plate with Wire EDM...
Is the interface between the bottom of the support structures and the build plate processed, or is the whole surface area of the build plate processed?

As stated by TurboGuy, typically a layer of support structure will be printed as a base onto which the part will be printed. Usually 5mm in height. This can be removed from the base plate by EDM, saw or machining. If you prefer EDM for your application, make special considerations for part contamination. Wire EDM can embed foreign material from the wire into the part if cut too close to the part or not performed correctly. This can cause corrosion.
 
I am curious about this process myself. We are currently using the bandsaw and belt sander method. We add 3-4mm of solid support to each build.

We are installing an Agie Classic wire machine and at this point I have just enough knowledge of wire EDM to be a danger. Avoiding any negative surface affect such as recast is important. I simply don't know what to expect or how to avoid it. I understand repeated wire breakage when cutting nested parts is another.

Our preference is to use solid supports as often as possible.The ability to finish cut off to an exact length our main goal. Other thoughts are cutting precise features before cut off both planer and contour, within the limitations of the process of course. Our work is R&D in 316L, 17-4, and in the near future high nickel and titanium alloys.

Your shared experience and advice very appreciated.

B
 
Duncan,
Thank you!
I am an admirer of concise writing, this is so good I ran right over the best parts. On my third slower read I got the answer on the recast question.
I believe our machine although 1980 vintage is AC power supply. Having the machine up and running will answer many questions.

Thanks to Reliable EDM for their generous contribution.

To answer David_31 question.
I think the short answer is yes. You could cut off part with allowance for kerf, skim pass for finish. It has been my experience on most builds the plate distortion
so bad both sides need machining. This is on a ProX 200, 140mm square, 12mm thick plate. At our overhead a new build plate is a savings.
It depends on your math if it's worth the effort.
B
 
This part was cut off with a reciprocating moly Wire EDM in 56 minutes vs. 8 hours on a conventional WEDM
2019-06-12 14.55.57.jpg
 








 
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