EDM
“We’re not able to make those speed leaps anymore. Now we’re looking at what kind of [improvements in] results can we get off the machine.”
Methods, a supplier of precision machine tools, automa- tion and accessories, introduced the Fanuc RoboCut CiA Series, including the C400iA and C600iA wire EDM machines, in February 2013.
In 2012, Fanuc tweaked its part holder to tilt the work- piece to make high angles for multiple-axis cutting, Bond explained: “How you manage that process lets you do things you’ve never done before,” he said.
To date, manufacturers have recommended coated wire to prevent recast, which is more expensive, or to manipulate the EDM machine’s power supply: the decrease in energy results in reduced fracturing, or recast. But Fanuc’s new software and hardware on the CiA series manipulates its 5F power supply to keep material from resolidifying on the workpiece. “At 1000× magnification, you can’t find recast,” says Bond. The series’ new 31iWB Control adaptive CNC contains high-speed processors that can read power supply data to monitor and adjust the wire EDM’s spark: If sparks are going well, the machine speeds up.
The machines can also operate in EcoMode, which slows down the wire. Machines in the series constantly mon- itor and record variables such as voltage, cutting speed, flush pressure, and wire tension for quality control purposes. The recording could potentially be used in root cause analysis in the event of a medical part failure. They also offer remote moni- toring and control of up to 24 machines via a hand-held device through Fanuc’s new RoboCut Link i technology. “So, on an iPad I can run the machine from anywhere in the world and know what part is coming off the machine,” said Bond.
Two in One
GF Machining Solutions’ new offerings include the CUT 2000 S and CUT 3000 S, the next generation of its CUT 2000/3000 line that offers new options, but still can accommodate wires as thin as 0.05 mm in diameter.
Mitsubishi MD+PRO III.
The latest developments have led to improvements in sur- face integrity that produce virtually no recast, Bond said. Recast is a problem in medical manufacturing because the microfractures inherent with it are good places for bacteria to lodge and multiply, which can cause problems with infec- tions in a patient. Micro fractures may also hamper how well bone grows into spine hardware and may cause the body to reject microclips used to clamp off blood vessels in the brain.
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ManufacturingEngineeringMedia.com | November 2014
“The 3000 is our most sophisticated machine,” said Gisbert Ledvon, direc-
tor of business development for GF Machining Solutions (Lincolnshire, IL). Available for the new line is an automatic wire changer that, in conjunction with the 2000 and 3000 machines’ abil- ity to accommodate two wire spools and the open-V guide system, lets the operator use a bigger wire for the rough cut and switch to a smaller wire for skim cutting without having to manually change the wires.
Continued on page 80
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