Wire EDM wizards - Please help a rookie with some wisdom!

Hi Guys,

We've got a '08 Sodick AQ300L wire in the shop. I cut a TON of 2D stuff on it. We're slow right now so I have a bit of time to play around and learn a few things.

I'm trying to figure out how to do a different top and bottom shape (i.e. "squircle") - can anyone give some direction or better yet, a sample program that would cut, say a 1/2" square over a 1" cicle, 2" high?

All of our programming is in the Sodick Heart NC software on the machine. I don't have a dedicated EDM CAM package, but will also be tryingto bring in a file from Solidcam, programming it with a 5" long, .010 cutter. (I think this will work?)

Also trying to figure out on our machine how to get better surface finishes. Most of our parts are single pass, haul ass...

I've done some 2 cut skims and they do look better. What do I do to improve the finish on the part? Wire speed, voltage etc?

I'm mostly self taught, with a shitty manual.

Anybody willing to help would be appreciated!

thanks

Chris

Anybody out there?

Hi 50BMG DUDE:

Here's a place to start:
https://www.practicalmachinist.com/...d-parts-256454/?highlight=complex+upper+lower.

Here's another more complete answer I wrote years ago when I still had my Sodick,
https://www.practicalmachinist.com/...on-wire-222063/?highlight=complex+upper+lower

Read through both threads and see if it all makes sense.
If not, post back and we'll see if we can help you.

Cheers

Marcus
Implant Mechanix • Design & Innovation > HOME
Vancouver Wire EDM -- Wire EDM Machining

Chris,

your machine should be able to do up to 4 skim passes. The last pass should be a PIKA pass that will give a great finish and extreme accuracy. To do accurate 4 axis cuts there should be a program on your hard drive called 'LNTPRDAT" that you run in conjunction with the your wire aligning device. This will set your table to lower and table to upper settings. Instructions are in the program. Below is the 4 axis program you asked for. You will need to change the header and create one with your machine settings for a 5 pass water tech.

( Search Data : ,Water,D0.010mm,Brass,Steel,H0.39mm,Die,Open-U,2.6,3orMore );
;
( ON OFF IP HRP MAO SV V SF C PIK CTRL WK WT WS WP PC SK BSA );
C000 = 012 015 2215 000 242 +025.0 8.0 0059 0 000 0000 025 160 098 045 000000 000000 200100;
C001 = 002 009 2215 000 000 +044.0 5.0 1026 0 000 0000 025 180 098 240 000000 000000 310000;
C002 = 001 014 2210 000 000 +053.3 2.0 1020 0 000 0000 025 180 098 240 000000 000000 410000;
C003 = 014 020 0504 000 000 +044.2 6.0 1020 0 000 0000 025 180 098 240 000000 000000 510000;
C904 = 100 000 0001 000 000 +046.9 0.0 9055 0 045 0000 025 180 098 240 000102 000006 610000;
H000 = +000000.000390;
H001 = +000000.009070;
H002 = +000000.006320;
H003 = +000000.005650;
H004 = +000000.005370;
H005 = +000000.005060;
;
;
TP0.0;
TN2.0;
G90;
G92 X0.0 Y0.0 U0.0 V0.0;
;
CSP00100000022;
TT2.0;
TB0.0;
QAIC(2,1,0.00492,000.3,0.00630,0.00039,004.0,0020,0029,15,035);
G29;
(SolidWire - 4 Axis Contour : Sodick);
T94 (Water dielectric);
T84 (Pump ON);
(ROUGH PRIMARY CUT);
C000;
G141 H000;
G01 X0.0005 Y0.0 : G01 X0.0005 Y0.0;
G01 X0.25 Y0.0 : G01 X0.5 Y0.0;
H001;
G01 X0.25 Y0.25 : G03 X0.35355 Y0.35355 I-0.5 J0.0;
G01 X0.0 Y0.25 : G03 X0.0 Y0.5 I-0.35355 J-0.35355;
G01 X-0.25 Y0.25 : G03 X-0.35355 Y0.35355 I0.0 J-0.5;
G01 X-0.25 Y0.0 : G03 X-0.5 Y0.0 I0.35355 J-0.35355;
G01 X-0.25 Y-0.25 : G03 X-0.35355 Y-0.35355 I0.5 J0.0;
G01 X0.0 Y-0.25 : G03 X0.0 Y-0.5 I0.35355 J0.35355;
G01 X0.25 Y-0.25 : G03 X0.35355 Y-0.35355 I0.0 J0.5;
G01 X0.25 Y-0.02 : G03 X0.49901 Y-0.0314 I-0.35355 J0.35355;
M00;
G01 X0.25 Y0.0 : G03 X0.5 Y0.0 I-0.49901 J0.0314;
H000;
G01 X0.0005 Y0.0 : G01 X0.0005 Y0.0;
H000;
G140 G01 X0.0 Y0.0;
T85 (Pump OFF);
;
(SolidWire - 4 Axis Contour : Sodick);
(SKIM PRIMARY CUT [ 1]);
C001;
G142 H000;
G01 X0.0005 Y0.0 : G01 X0.0005 Y0.0;
G01 X0.25 Y0.0 : G01 X0.5 Y0.0;
H002;
G01 X0.25 Y-0.25 : G02 X0.35355 Y-0.35355 I-0.5 J0.0;
G01 X0.0 Y-0.25 : G02 X0.0 Y-0.5 I-0.35355 J0.35355;
G01 X-0.25 Y-0.25 : G02 X-0.35355 Y-0.35355 I0.0 J0.5;
G01 X-0.25 Y0.0 : G02 X-0.5 Y0.0 I0.35355 J0.35355;
G01 X-0.25 Y0.25 : G02 X-0.35355 Y0.35355 I0.5 J0.0;
G01 X0.0 Y0.25 : G02 X0.0 Y0.5 I0.35355 J-0.35355;
G01 X0.25 Y0.25 : G02 X0.35355 Y0.35355 I0.0 J-0.5;
G01 X0.25 Y0.0 : G02 X0.5 Y0.0 I-0.35355 J-0.35355;
H000;
G01 X0.0005 Y0.0 : G01 X0.0005 Y0.0;
H000;
G140 G01 X0.0 Y0.0;
;
(SolidWire - 4 Axis Contour : Sodick);
(SKIM PRIMARY CUT [ 2]);
C002;
G141 H000;
G01 X0.0005 Y0.0 : G01 X0.0005 Y0.0;
G01 X0.25 Y0.0 : G01 X0.5 Y0.0;
H003;
G01 X0.25 Y0.25 : G03 X0.35355 Y0.35355 I-0.5 J0.0;
G01 X0.0 Y0.25 : G03 X0.0 Y0.5 I-0.35355 J-0.35355;
G01 X-0.25 Y0.25 : G03 X-0.35355 Y0.35355 I0.0 J-0.5;
G01 X-0.25 Y0.0 : G03 X-0.5 Y0.0 I0.35355 J-0.35355;
G01 X-0.25 Y-0.25 : G03 X-0.35355 Y-0.35355 I0.5 J0.0;
G01 X0.0 Y-0.25 : G03 X0.0 Y-0.5 I0.35355 J0.35355;
G01 X0.25 Y-0.25 : G03 X0.35355 Y-0.35355 I0.0 J0.5;
G01 X0.25 Y0.0 : G03 X0.5 Y0.0 I-0.35355 J0.35355;
H000;
G01 X0.0005 Y0.0 : G01 X0.0005 Y0.0;
H000;
G140 G01 X0.0 Y0.0;
;
(SolidWire - 4 Axis Contour : Sodick);
(SKIM PRIMARY CUT [ 3]);
C003;
G142 H000;
G01 X0.0005 Y0.0 : G01 X0.0005 Y0.0;
G01 X0.25 Y0.0 : G01 X0.5 Y0.0;
H004;
G01 X0.25 Y-0.25 : G02 X0.35355 Y-0.35355 I-0.5 J0.0;
G01 X0.0 Y-0.25 : G02 X0.0 Y-0.5 I-0.35355 J0.35355;
G01 X-0.25 Y-0.25 : G02 X-0.35355 Y-0.35355 I0.0 J0.5;
G01 X-0.25 Y0.0 : G02 X-0.5 Y0.0 I0.35355 J0.35355;
G01 X-0.25 Y0.25 : G02 X-0.35355 Y0.35355 I0.5 J0.0;
G01 X0.0 Y0.25 : G02 X0.0 Y0.5 I0.35355 J-0.35355;
G01 X0.25 Y0.25 : G02 X0.35355 Y0.35355 I0.0 J-0.5;
G01 X0.25 Y0.0 : G02 X0.5 Y0.0 I-0.35355 J-0.35355;
H000;
G01 X0.0005 Y0.0 : G01 X0.0005 Y0.0;
H000;
G140 G01 X0.0 Y0.0;
;
(SolidWire - 4 Axis Contour : Sodick);
(SKIM PRIMARY CUT [ 4]);
C904;
G141 H000;
G01 X0.0005 Y0.0 : G01 X0.0005 Y0.0;
G01 X0.25 Y0.0 : G01 X0.5 Y0.0;
H005;
G01 X0.25 Y0.25 : G03 X0.35355 Y0.35355 I-0.5 J0.0;
G01 X0.0 Y0.25 : G03 X0.0 Y0.5 I-0.35355 J-0.35355;
G01 X-0.25 Y0.25 : G03 X-0.35355 Y0.35355 I0.0 J-0.5;
G01 X-0.25 Y0.0 : G03 X-0.5 Y0.0 I0.35355 J-0.35355;
G01 X-0.25 Y-0.25 : G03 X-0.35355 Y-0.35355 I0.5 J0.0;
G01 X0.0 Y-0.25 : G03 X0.0 Y-0.5 I0.35355 J0.35355;
G01 X0.25 Y-0.25 : G03 X0.35355 Y-0.35355 I0.0 J0.5;
G01 X0.25 Y0.0 : G03 X0.5 Y0.0 I-0.35355 J0.35355;
H000;
G01 X0.0005 Y0.0 : G01 X0.0005 Y0.0;
H000;
G140 G01 X0.0 Y0.0;
G149 G249;
;
M02;

Hi Shane:
Is there a reason you chose not to write the contour as a sub and just call it over and over with your new offsets and generator settings?
I'm curious because there must be a reason to write all that extra code, and I'm not seeing it.

Cheers

Marcus
Implant Mechanix • Design & Innovation > HOME
Vancouver Wire EDM -- Wire EDM Machining

Marcus,

I see what you're saying. This is the way Esprit generates the code. I didn't write it.

Hi Shane:
I didn't know Esprit could post "complex upper and lower" style code where the two lines that define the upper and lower contours of a profile segment are connected with colons.
I learned a cool new thing today.
Thanks!!

Cheers

Marcus
Implant Mechanix • Design & Innovation > HOME
Vancouver Wire EDM -- Wire EDM Machining

You've got one of the best Sodick guys in the business right in your backyard. Email [email protected]. He's somewhere between Phoenix and Tuscon.

I never cut a squircle, but did cut a twisted squirangle. (posted from Esprit)

Marcus - Thanks for the links - some good info in there.

Shane - Thanks for the program, I'll give it a shot this week when I have some time. I have heard about that wire alignment program but cannot find it on the drive. Any chance you can Email or PM me a copy?

I usually just do an auto align in x and then y against a 123 block. I'm 100% self taught so I don't know what I don't know.

I usually just hang stuff off the edge of the table with a few strap clamps and burn in form the edge. I program in the Heart NC software on the machine and use the factory tech settings you pick when you generate a path.

We run Solidcam for 2D/3D CAM and I'm not sure if wire is even an option for that package.

I would like to learn how to tune the tech settings, mainly I play with the DAO if I have a unstable cut (usually a stack) - I like the idea of putting them in a press to weld up a stack, I'm going to try that on my next stack job (saw that in one of Marcus's threads I think)

If anyone knows the heart NC software, I'd like to know how to do a straight line cut, or an open shape. (Like burning in a "U" in and out but not closing the shape. ) I cannot get it to generate code with an open shape.

Thanks a bunch guys! - Please keep the tips comming, I read the board a couple tiems a week and have learned a lot here. Any other info sources would be appreciated as well. I plan to go to IMTS this year and hopefully will pick up some info there (but probably only will want a new machine when I get back)

Thanks again!

Chris

shoot me your email in a pm and ill send you the program.