Hi Everyone.
I’ve got a part that’s fairly complex and the more I look at EDM, the better fit this process seems to be for production. Burr free cuts and flatness requirements for some areas of the blank are a big factor in this decision.
303 Stainless Steel
General tolerance of .001"
The part blank is roughly 1.1”L X .350”H X 1.9”D.
The WEDM Profile cut is 3 inches in total length and is cut to the full depth of 1.9”.
There’s no taper associated with the cut and within that total wire cut path of 3”, there are 2 surfaces totaling .20” that need a 16 micro-inch Ra finish, all other areas can be the EDM standard finish.
The wire cut follows the outside profile only so as far as I know, there should be no threading required for each piece.
In addition to the blank, there’s a slot cut that measures .050” wide that requires a sinker EDM cut to a depth of .170”.
The minimum volume is 5 thousand parts.
EDIT: I understand what a print/drawing is worth but won't be posting one here. I'm hoping I included enough info for you guys to determine if I should continue designing for production edm.
My questions are:
1) Is this part blank a good candidate for nesting and stacking parts for lights out
WEDM production? If it can be stacked, can a .001” flatness requirement be
repeatedly produced?
2) Is the volume a good fit for the part size?
3) Would the setup cost for wire, sinker and traditional machining(a few holes) be
too costly for the final part?
4) From what I’ve read, using a larger diameter wire would be better suited for
production. Is there a significant difference in cost and cutting speed between
.010” and .006” wire?
5) I don’t need a detailed number quoted but can anyone give me a ballpark figure on
part cost for those volumes either in this thread or a PM? Even a range for the
EDM profile blanks without the additional cuts would be helpful in deciding to
continue pursuing EDM as an option.
Sorry for the long post and thanks for taking a look.
I’ve got a part that’s fairly complex and the more I look at EDM, the better fit this process seems to be for production. Burr free cuts and flatness requirements for some areas of the blank are a big factor in this decision.
303 Stainless Steel
General tolerance of .001"
The part blank is roughly 1.1”L X .350”H X 1.9”D.
The WEDM Profile cut is 3 inches in total length and is cut to the full depth of 1.9”.
There’s no taper associated with the cut and within that total wire cut path of 3”, there are 2 surfaces totaling .20” that need a 16 micro-inch Ra finish, all other areas can be the EDM standard finish.
The wire cut follows the outside profile only so as far as I know, there should be no threading required for each piece.
In addition to the blank, there’s a slot cut that measures .050” wide that requires a sinker EDM cut to a depth of .170”.
The minimum volume is 5 thousand parts.
EDIT: I understand what a print/drawing is worth but won't be posting one here. I'm hoping I included enough info for you guys to determine if I should continue designing for production edm.
My questions are:
1) Is this part blank a good candidate for nesting and stacking parts for lights out
WEDM production? If it can be stacked, can a .001” flatness requirement be
repeatedly produced?
2) Is the volume a good fit for the part size?
3) Would the setup cost for wire, sinker and traditional machining(a few holes) be
too costly for the final part?
4) From what I’ve read, using a larger diameter wire would be better suited for
production. Is there a significant difference in cost and cutting speed between
.010” and .006” wire?
5) I don’t need a detailed number quoted but can anyone give me a ballpark figure on
part cost for those volumes either in this thread or a PM? Even a range for the
EDM profile blanks without the additional cuts would be helpful in deciding to
continue pursuing EDM as an option.
Sorry for the long post and thanks for taking a look.