CAE DS Mould Parts Manufacturing

Wire Electric Discharge (ED) Machining

Tampere University of Technology Tuula Hk

Wire electric discharge (ED) machining is based on the same principle as die-sink ED
machining. The basic elements in all ED machining methods are dielectric fluid, a
workpiece and an electrode. In the die-sink ED machining method the electrode has
the same shapes as the wished machining results. In the wire ED machining method
the electrode is a moving wire made from some electrically conducting material. The
workpiece is cut with the electrode wire. It is possible to produce complicated shapes,
but the shapes need to extend through the workpiece material. (See image 1.)

Image 1. Core machining with wire ED machine. Wire

extends through the workpiece. Core walls are drafted and
flat.

The wire ED machine does basically two things: It produces frequent electric shocks Principle of the
and guides the electrode wire. The workpiece and the electrode wire are connected to wire EDM method
an electric circuit as two opposite poles. If the wire is near enough to the workpiece,
the electric shock lets the dielectric fluid to change from an electric insulator to an
electric conductor. At that instant a high electric current passes through the dielectric
fluid and heats the workpiece surface from a very small area. The corresponding
workpiece area melts and what is left, is a small round cavity. The cavity size depends
on the electric current and potential. After frequent electric shocks the electrode wire
passes through the workpiece and produces the programmed shapes. (See image 2.)

Image 2. Principle of wire ED machining.

The distance between the electrode wire and the workpiece is called a sparking gap.
The electrode produces shapes that are a sparking gap dimension larger than the
programmed shape through which the electrode wire passes. This is usually taken
into account during the wire ED machine programming. The absolute minimum inner
corner radius is the wire radius added with the sparking gap width.

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The wire ED machines have 2 - 5 programmable axes. The machines that are used in
mould making applications typically have 5 programmable axes. These axes are: Wire
guide, wire tilting in x and y directions and workpiece or wire system movements in
x and y directions. (See image 3.)

Image 3. Programmable axes in wire ED ma-

chine.

The electrode wire moves between two coils with a moderate speed. The part of the
wire that actually machines the workpiece is constantly changing. There is no time for
the wire to heat up. For that reason the problems with electrode wear are not an issue
like in the case of die-sink ED machining and it is possible to use wire ED machining
also for materials with high melting ranges. The material hardness sets no restrictions.
The only restriction is that the material needs to be electrically conductive. Despite of
the minimum wear, ED wires are usually disposed after one usage. Sparking and high
temperature during the machining reduces the wire tensile strength and the wire
could easily break if re-used.
ED machining wire is usually brass either zinc-coated or uncoated. Brass wire can be
purchased in different hardnesses and different diameters. Soft wires are useful in
applications with complex shapes, where the machine changes the wire tilting angle
several times. The harder grades are used in automatic re-threading mechanisms and
also if the machined shapes contain high flat surfaces. Hard wires resist change in
direction and for that reason are likely to produce nice flat surfaces. Zinc coated wire
is used in machining high melting point workpiece materials. The zinc coating vapor-
ises in lower temperature than the brass core. Vaporisation reduces the amount of
heat that transmits to the brass and the core wears less.
The dielectric fluid in die-sink ED machining is usually some petroleum product. In
wire ED machining it is most common to use deionised water.
The most typical wire ED machining applications in mould making are:
Machining ejector holes
Shaping and cutting the ejector pin ends to follow mould cavity surface
shapes
Machining cores and corresponding fastening holes in the mould plates and
inserts

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Ejector hole machining

There are different options in machining the holes for ejector pins. Most common
method is to take the following steps:
1. Drill start holes through the mould plate and/or the mould insert plate
2. Drill loose holes starting from the back side of the insert and/or mould plate.
These holes end 20 40 mm before the mould cavity surface.
3. Optional: Take the whole mould plate or just the insert plates to a heat treat-
ment plant to get the steel hardened.
4. Use wire ED machine to produce the tight 20 40 mm ends of the ejector pin
holes. Automatic re-threading mechanisms are useful.
(See image 4.)

Image 4. Different machining phases of

ejector holes.

It is important to harden the insert or mould plate steel before making the tightly
tolerated ends in the ejector pin holes, because the heat treatment tends to change the
workpiece shapes at a certain degree. Some manufacturers finish the ejector holes
before the hardening operation, but in this case the manufacturer must be sure that
the heat treatment is successful and that the shapes change as estimated.

Ejector cutting and shaping

Ejectors are sold in standard dimensions and shapes. The most common shapes are
circular and rectangle. The length of the pins, diameter and other dimensions are
standard. There is a need to cut the ejector to a right dimension and if the cavity
surface is shaped there is also a need to shape the ejector end. (See images below.)

Image 5. Cutting and shaping electrodes with a wire ED machine.

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The wire ED machine is one of the most accurate machines in mould shops and usu-
ally there is also free machining time available. Another option is to cut and shape the
ejectors in a milling machine, but the most accurate milling machines are used in
mould cavity machining operations and normally they are rather busy for long peri-
ods of time.

Core and core fastening hole machining

Basically there are two options for making the fixed cores:
Machine the cores directly to the mould insert plate or mould plate
Machine the cores to separate pieces of mould steel and attach the piece to the
mould assembly

Which one of the options is more practical depends on the core dimensions and
shapes. High and narrow cores or cores with sharp shapes are easiest to manufacture
with separate parts. Special cases are core pins. Core pins are used in making small
diameter holes to castings. (See images below.)

Image 6. Deep and narrow holes in a casting and core pins for shaping the holes. In the image
on the right there is a core pin assembly. The core pin is fastened to the mould insert with a
flange.

The selection between the two options described below has an influence on the round-
ing of the mould cavity corners. This selection has an influence on the moulded part.
(See images 7 and 8.)

Image 7. Milled and wire ED machined cores

.Pay attention to the rounding between the
core and the workpiece.

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Image 8. Wire ED machined core and milled core in the mould cavity: Results in castings.

Like every wall in the mould opening direction, the core walls are also drafted. It is
rather difficult to make high drafted walls with a milling machine. Especially in the
case of injection moulding or high pressure die casting moulds where the accuracy
requirements are very high. The wire ED machine produces these shapes accurately
with ease.
There are different options for fastening the fixed cores to the mould assembly. Core
pins are sold as separate mould standard parts. The core pins have straight, undrafted
walls. They have a collar with which it is possible to fix the core between the insert
plate and the mould plate or between the mould plate and the back plate. The similar
technique can also be used in the case of other fixed cores. (See image 9.)

Image 9. A high core fitted to a insert plate.

If the core shapes are complex, it can be more convenient to attach the core to the
mould assembly by using the draft angle as the fixing element. It is necessary to take
into account the minimum corner radius. (See image 7.)

References
E. C. Jameson, Electrical Discharge Machining, Society of Manufacturing Engineers,
Michigan, 2001.

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