Wire eroding
Wire eroding, often called wire cutting, is a very precise cutting operation for all conducting materials, and therefore it is impossible to imagine tool construction without it. It is based on spark discharge principle. Firstly, an electrical voltage is generated between the tool (electrode) and the specimen (cathode). The tool as well as specimen is surrounded by purified water, also called dielectric fluid. Thereafter, an electrical field is generated. This electrical field attracts the freely moving particles in dielectric fluid and bundles these. At a certain critical amount of such free particles, the current starts to flow. The freely moving particles are now positively charged and hit the specimen (cathode) with a high velocity. The heat generated at this point melts the specimen surface at the collision point. The heat also produces water bubbles, which implode and remove the particles from the specimen surface. Through the filter system these particles are taken out from the dielectric fluid. Now, only the tool (electrode) as a thin brass wire (i.e. 0,5mm), which goes through the specimen during the eroding process is left. This wire is CNC-controlled driven. The wire eroding method has a big advantage of exactness (less than 0,001 mm tolerance) and hardened tool steels as well as hard metals can be processed. We have a wire eroding machines produced by Agie in our workshops, which are modified according to our needs by the Techstart company. The accuracy of our machines lies at approximately 0,005mm. The processing size of the specimen is max x=150mm, Y=300mm, Z=120mm.