Method and apparatus for controlling an electric discharge machine.

摘要

A method of controlling an electric discharge machine wherein discharge is caused across and electrode (EP) and a workpiece with a voltage applied thereacross and wherein the relative movement between the electrode (EP) and the workpiece is controlled so as to subject the workpiece to electric discharge machining, comprising the step of inserting retraction control information into numerical control command information (101) in advance and storing in memory (102b) the retraction control information included in the numerical control command information (101), after said numerical control command information (101) is read, the step of controlling the electrode (EP) and/or the workpiece for relative forward movement on the basis of machining control information included in the read numerical control command information (101), and the step of reading the stored retraction control information from the memory (102b) in response to a retraction control command and controlling the electrode (EP) and/or the workpiece for relative backward movement on the basis of the read retraction control information.