Electrical discharge machining integrated control system

摘要

An electrical discharge machining (EDM) system and method including (a) an electrode supported by a spindle, (b) a spindle support, (c) a workpiece holder, (d) a gap voltage measurement device, and (d) a single integrated controller. The single integrated controller is responsive to the measured gap voltage to control all of the spindle, the spindle support, and the workpiece holder, providing improved speed, accuracy, and part quality.

主权项

1. An electrical discharge machining (EDM) system comprising:
an integrated control including a workpiece program memory adapted to store a workpiece program defining a multi-axis program path of an electrode with respect to a workpiece; a workpiece support adapted to support the workpiece, the workpiece support operatively connected to and controlled by the integrated control; a spindle movably supporting the electrode, the spindle operatively connected to and controlled by the integrated control; a spindle support supporting the spindle, the spindle support operatively connected to and controlled by the integrated control; and a gap voltage measurement system adapted to measure the gap voltage between the electrode and the workpiece; the integrated control being operatively connected to the gap voltage measurement system, the integrated control being dynamically responsive to the measured gap voltage, the integrated control dynamically controlling both the speed along the multi-axis program path and the forward or reverse direction along the multi-axis program path to dynamically maintain a desired gap voltage by dynamically controlling the movement of the workpiece support, the electrode, and the spindle support.