Wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) is based on Electrical discharge machining（EDM）using wire electrodes (molybdenum wire or copper wire etc.,) to cut workpieces, it is called wire electrical discharge cutting, sometimes referred to as wire cutting.

WEDM can operate normally, the following conditions must be met,

1. The gap between the molybdenum wire and the workpiece surface must be maintained, the width of the gap determined by the working voltage, processing conditions such as the amount of processing. If the gap is too large, the interelectrode voltage can't break through the interelectrode medium, it can't produce spark discharge, but if the gap is too small, it is easy to form a short-circuit connection, it also can't produce spark discharge.

2. The machining of WEDM must be carried out in the liquid medium with certain insulating properties, such as kerosene, saponified oil, deionized water, etc., the liquid medium also has the function of eliminating the electro-corrosion products in the gap and cooling the electrode.

3. Must be used pulse power supply, that is, spark discharge must be a pulse, intermittent. In the pulse interval, the gap medium eliminates ionization, so the next pulse between the poles can break down discharge. In order to obtain better surface roughness and high dimensional accuracy, and to ensure the electrode wire is not burnt out, the corresponding pulse parameters should be selected well in WEDM, the discharge between the workpiece and the molybdenum wire must be spark discharge, not arc discharge.

WEDM has opened up a new way for new product trial-manufacture, precision parts processing and dies manufacturing, which is mainly applicable to the following aspects.

1, Tooling

It is suitable for processing all kinds of shapes of stamping dies. Adjust different gap compensation, only one-time programming can cut core, core fixed plate, cavity and discharge plate. Die fit clearance, processing accuracy can usually meet the requirements. In addition, you can also process extrusion die, powder metallurgy dies, bending die, plastic die and other moulds usually with taper.

2,  Machining electrodes for EDM

Wire-cutting is especially economical for the electrodes used for general piercing and machining with taper cavities, and for electrode materials such as copper-tungsten and silver-tungsten alloys, at the same time, it is also suitable for machining micro-complex shape electrodes.

3, Machining complex  shape parts

In the trial production of new products, the parts are cut directly from the blank by wire cutting, such as cutting the stator and rotor cores of special micro-motor silicon steel sheets, which can greatly shorten the manufacturing cycle and reduce the cost. Moreover, when revising the design, the change processing procedure is quite convenient. In parts manufacturing, WEDM can be used for processing a variety of parts, a small number of parts, special difficult-to-process materials parts, material test specimens, all kinds of holes, special gear cam, template, forming tools. At the same time, it can also carry out micro-processing, special-shaped slots and manual standard defects of the narrow processing.

Xu Feng provides WEDM service, so if you need such service or you don't know how to choose the process for a part, kindly contact us, our rich experience engineers can help you to choose the right way.