What exactly is wire discharge machining, also known as wire EDM? Wire EDM is the process by which hard metals, those that previously could not be machined or handled with traditional methods, could now be machined, manipulated and engineered using electrical charges to cut unwanted metal into shapes and designs hitherto unattainable with greater tolerances. and precision.
The only requirement limiting wire EDM is that the material must be electrically conductive. An example of traditional machining buy molybdenum wire is putting a metal tube on a lathe and turning it while cutting it with a carbide tip or some other similar cutting tool; in the same way that wood is cut around. While this is a fairly elementary example and shows how wide the variations can be from one product to another, wire EDM can now allow companies to manufacture much more elaborate items from metals that until now could not be worked, even cutting 3D shapes and extremely intricate jewelry designs. There are two general types of electrical discharge machining, branch EDM and wire EDM. For the scope of this document, we will only discuss the last one: wire EDM.
Originally observed by Joseph Priestly in 1770, electrical discharge machining had its beginnings but was very imprecise and prone to failure. However, it wasn’t until it was fully developed and commercially available in the mid-1970s that wire EDM began its rapid growth and became a reality in the 1980s when it migrated to a machine tool and became much more accessible. and attractive in the world. Traditional machining processes. In attempts to work with metals that were harder and to increase cutting precision, wire EDM allows just that capacity and precision. Some of the types of industries that benefit from using wire EDM include jewelry designers, metal shops, automobile manufacturing plants, metalworking artists, as well as plants that specialize in wire EDM to supply parts. to various industries, to name a few benefactors. .
Thanks to wire EDM, we have cars whose engines are much more efficient, as well as household appliances that far exceed the life expectancy of those built before the advent of wire EDM. Thanks to wire EDM, we are much better able to produce durable goods while making better use of raw natural resources, which is good for everyone.
What is Wire EDM?