Normal Discharges and Abnormal Discharges.

Normal discharges create the desired removal of the workpiece material with a predictable surface finish quality and little wear of the electrode.

Abnormal discharges tent to concentrate in one spot of the workpiece, melting the solidified particles just removed and burning together the cracked carbon from the dielectric fluid. This results in 1) high risk of arcing, 2) reduced metal removal rate, 3) increased electrode wear, 4) deteriorated surface quality.

Arcs damage the electrode as well as the workpiece. They may also cause a fire hazard by igniting the dielectric fluid if allowed to continue.

To avoid these problems, it is common practice that EDM machines are programmed with "safety" -- in other words, very carefully chosen generator and servo settings. The OFF time are increased, and gap control is set to a large value. However, these safety measures have the effect of reducing the removal rate and increasing the machine times considerably. In addition, most EDM machines simply shut down, or virtually shut down and wait for the operator to try another strategy.

SUMMATION:

Arcing wastes valuable performance, i.e., increases operating times of the EDM equipment and affects the quality of the machined workpiece. Inputting safety settings via adaptive control, also severely affects the overall performance of the EDM machines, again, costing you, the owner, time and money.

THE SOLUTION IS FINALLY HERE!

To avoid arcing at the very beginning, it is absolutely necessary to have a control system that "looks ahead" to cut off any such developing abnormal discharges during their initial formation and utilizes PUSH technology to correct the nachine to its efficient cutting operation.

"THE PROCESS OPTIMIZATION CONTROLLER"^TM perfectly achieves this long desired objective.

The controller works fully automatically without any operator interference with all conductive material combinations, plus or minus polarity, any on/off time range, and any cutting current.

Using the "The Process Optimization Controller"^TM: the EDM process remains stable and "high performance" of the EDM machine can now be achieved. Short off-times and minimized gap control settings increase the metal removal rate dramatically, and reduce electrode wear considerably.

Referring to Fig. 1, the graph shows the EDM cutting efficiency ranging down from 100% (good flushing, proper machine settings, etc) to the no EDM machine zone, where the machine stops cutting altogether, starts arcing or pitting, reacts very unstable, etc. The operators skill requirements need to increase dramatically in order to figure out new cutting and.or new flushing techniques. Operator experimentation increase job time and costs in addition to threatening your promised delivery.

Fig 2. shows the same type of EDM cuts being performed, but with the installation of "The Process Optimization Controller"^TM. The machine performance slows down but keeps on cutting. The experience required of the EDM operator is now significantly reduced.

CONCLUSION:

EDM Solutions guarentee the installation of "The Process Optimization Controller"^TM will,

• Allow for difficult or practically impossible EDM machine operations to be accomplished by less skilled operators.
• Automatically perform advanced PUSH technology utilizing only this effective adaptive control processor.
• Providing the EDM machine is in proper working order, "The Process Optimization Controller"^TM will eliminate arcing or pitting in deep rib cutting applications.
• Automatically pulses only when necessary assuring the gap always remains relatively clean of any debris.
• Pushes the control to establish stable cutting conditions.
• Since the control is always pushing toward a stable cut by automatic gap sensing, you will obtain:

• increased metal removal rates
• decrease electrode wear
• produce required finishes faster

You've nothing to lose but arcing, pitting, reduced cutting speed, high electrode wear, highly paid operators, late deliveries, grief and aggrevation.

CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION

Fig. 1

Fig. 2