Principle of wire cut EDM

CNC wire cut EDM machine puts impulse voltage between electrode wire and workpiece through impulse source, controlled by servo system, to get a certain gap, and realize impulse discharging in the working liquid between electrode wire and workpiece. Numerous tiny holes appears due to erosion of impulse discharging, and therefore get the needed shape of workpiece( as show in figure 1-1).

Electrode wire is connecting to cathode of impulse power source, and workpiece is connecting to anode of impulse power source. When workpiece is approaching electrode wire in the insulating liquid and gap between them getting small to a certain value, insulating liquid was broken through; very shortly, discharging channel forms, and electrical discharging happens. And release huge high temperature instantaneously, up to more than 10000 degree centigrade, the eroded workpiece is cooling down swiftly in working liquid and flushed away. As show in figure 1-2

Three basic conditions that wire cut EDM work correctly:

1. The gap between electrode wire and workpiece should be certainly maintained in a required range. Within this range, not only impulse power can break through insulating liquid to create spark discharging, but also the eroded workpiece can be flushed away after discharging process. If gap is too big, insulating liquid can’t be break through,, and there will be no spark discharging; if gap is too small, short circuit is easy to happen, no spark discharging neither.
2. The procedure should happen in the liquid with insulate capacity, for example saponification and deionized water, the liquid could act as medium of discharging channel and provide cooling and flushing.
3. Electrical discharging should be short time impulse discharging,. As with short discharging time, the released heat won’t affect inside material of workpiece, and limits energy to a tiny field and keep characteristics of cool machining of wire cut EDM machine.