1
Mechanical Engineering Department
UNIT -5
CNC MACHINING
Mechanical Engineering Department 2
Numerical Control
• Numerical control is a method of automatically
operating a manufacturing machine based on a
code of letters, numbers, and special characters.
• The numerical data required to produce a part is
provided to a machine in the form of a program,
called part program or CNC program.
• The program is translated into the appropriate
electrical signals for input to motors that run the
machine.
Mechanical Engineering Department 3
Numerical Control - History
• The concept is credited to John Parson (1947). Using
punched cards he was able to control the position of a
machine in an attempt to machine helicopter blade.
• US Air Force teamed up with MIT to develop a
programmable milling machine (1949).
• In 1952, a three-axis Cincinnati Hydrotel milling machine
was demonstrated. The term Numerical Control (NC)
originated. The machine had an electromechanical
controller and used punched cards.
• A new class of machines called machining centers and
turning centers that could perform multiple machining
processes was developed.
• Modern NC machine has a computer on board, Computer
Numerical Control (CNC). They can run unattended at
over 20,000 rpm (spindler speed) with a feed rate of over
600 ipm and an accuracy of .0001
Mechanical Engineering Department 4
Computer Numerical Control (CNC)
A CNC machine is an NC machine with the added feature of
an on-board computer.
NC SYSTEM
Mechanical Engineering Department 6
Hardware Configuration of NC Machine
Machine Control Unit (MCU)
the brain of the NC machine.
The Data Processing Unit (DPU)
reads the part program.
The Control Loop Unit (CLU)
controls the machine tool operation.
CNC
COMPUTER NUMERICAL
CONTROL
CNC
• The CNC having the same operation as that of NC.
• The only difference is the usage of computer.
• The part program is stored in the inbuilt computer.
• So when ever the machining needed or altered , they
have simply altered the saved program
Mechanical Engineering Department
Configuration in CNC
Mechanical Engineering Department 10
HAAS CNC Machines
Mechanical Engineering Department 11
CNC Machines
Machining Centers, equipped with automatic tool changers,
are capable of changing 90 or more tools. Can perform
milling, drilling, tapping, boring… on many faces.
Mechanical Engineering Department 12
CNC Machines
Turning Centers are capable of executing many different types
of lathe cutting operations simultaneously on a rotating part.
Mechanical Engineering Department 13
CNC Controllers
The NC controller is the brain of the NC system, it controls all
functions of the machine.
• Motion control deals with the tool position,
orientation and speed.
• Auxiliary control deals with spindle rpm, tool
change, fixture clamping and coolant.
Many different types of controllers are available in the
market (GE, Fanuc, Allen-Bradley, Okuma, Bendix, …).
There are two basic types of control systems:
point-to-point and continuous path.
Mechanical Engineering Department 14
Point-to-Point Tool Movements
Point-to-point control systems cause the tool to move to a
point on the part and execute an operation at that point only.
The tool is not in continuous contact with the part while it is
moving.
Drilling, reaming, punching, boring and tapping are examples
of point-to-point operations.
Mechanical Engineering Department 15
Continuous-Path Tool Movements
Continuous-path controllers cause the tool to maintain
continuous contact with the part as the tool cuts a contour shape.
These operations include milling along any lines at any angle,
milling arcs and lathe turning.
Mechanical Engineering Department 16
Loop Systems for Controlling Tool Movement
Open Loop System
Uses stepping motor to create movement. Motors rotate a fixed
amount for each pulse received from the MCU. The motor sends a
signal back indicating that the movement is completed. No feedback
to check how close the actual machine movement comes to the exact
movement programmed.
Mechanical Engineering Department 17
Flow of Computer-Aided
CNC Processing
• Develop or obtain the 3D geometric model of the part,
using CAD.
• Decide which machining operations and cutter-path
directions are required (computer assisted).
• Choose the tooling required (computer assisted).
• Run CAM software to generate the CNC part program.
• Verify and edit program.
• Download the part program to the appropriate machine.
• Verify the program on the actual machine and edit if
necessary.
• Run the program and produce the part.
Mechanical Engineering Department 18
Basic Concept of Part Programming
Part programming contains geometric data about the part
and motion information to move the cutting tool with
respect to the work piece.
Basically, the machine receives instructions as a sequence
of blocks containing commands to set machine parameters;
speed, feed and other relevant information.
A block is equivalent to a line of codes in a part program.
N135 G01 X1.0 Y1.0 Z0.125 T01 F5.0
Coordinates Special function
Block number
G-code Tool number
DRIVE SYSTEM
• AC Motor
• DC Motor
Mechanical Engineering Department
A SEPERATELY EXCITED DC MOTOR
Hydraulic Systems
Hydraulic Power Supply
Mechanical Engineering Department
Pneumatic Drives
Mechanical Engineering Department
IN-PROCESS PROBING or
INSPECTION
Mechanical Engineering Department
Mechanical Engineering Department 25
Basic Concept of Part Programming
Preparatory command (G code)
The G codes prepare the MCU for a given operation, typically
involving a cutter motion.
G00 rapid motion, point-to-point positioning
G01 linear interpolation (generating a sloped or straight cut)
G06 parabolic interpolation (produces a segment of a parabola)
G17 XY plane selection
G20 circular interpolation
G28 automatic return to reference point
G33 thread cutting
Mechanical Engineering Department 26
Basic Concept of Part Programming
Miscellaneous commands (M code)
M00 program stop
M03 start spindle rotation (cw)
M06 tool change
M07 turn coolant on
Feed commands (F code)
Used to specify the cutter feed rates in inch per minute.
Speed commands (S code)
Used to specify the spindle speed in rpm.
Tool commands (T code)
Specifies which tool to be used, machines with
automatic tool changer.
Mechanical Engineering Department 27
CNC Machine Axes of Motion
The coordinate system used for the tool path must be identical to the
coordinate system used by the CNC machine. The standards for machine
axes are established according to the industry standard report EIA RS-267A.
Right hand rule
Vertical
milling
machine
CNC machines milling machines can perform
simultaneous linear motion along the three
axis and are called three-axes machines.
Horizontal
milling
machine
Mechanical Engineering Department 28
CNC Machine Axes of Motion
Coordinate system for a Lathe
Mechanical Engineering Department 29
CNC Machine Axes of Motion
More complex CNC machines have the capability of executing
additional rotary motions (4th and 5th axes).
Mechanical Engineering Department 30
CNC Machine Axes of Motion
Five-axis
machine
configurations
Mechanical Engineering Department 31
CNC Machine Tool Positioning Modes
Within a given machine axes coordinate system, CNC can be
programmed to locate tool positions in the following modes;
incremental, absolute, or mixed.
Mechanical Engineering Department 32
Example of a part program
Loading tool
N003 G00 X0.0 Y0.0 Z40.0 T01 M06
Tool change
Rapid motion
Positioning tool at P1
N004 G01 X75.0 Y0.0 Z-40.0 F350 M03 M08
Start spindle
Start coolant
Linear interpolation
N001 G91 (incremental)
N002 G71 (metric)
Mechanical Engineering Department 33
Example of a part program
Moving tool from P1 to P3 through P2
N005 G01 X110
N006 G01 Y70.0
Tool dia.=10 mm
Moving tool from P3 to P4 along a straight line
and from P4 to P5 clockwise along circular arc.
N007 G01 X-40.86
N008 G02 X-28.28 Y0.0 I-14.14 J-5.0
Mechanical Engineering Department 34
Example of a part program
X and Y specify the end point of the arc (P5) with respect to the
start point (P4).
I and J specify the center of the arc with respect to the start point.
N008 G02 X-28.28 Y0.0 I-14.14 J-5.0
14.14
Mechanical Engineering Department 35
Computer-Assisted Part Programming
• Identify the part geometry, cutter motions, speeds,
feeds, and cutter parameter.
• Code the above information using ATP.
• Compile to produce the list of cutter movements and
machine control information (Cutter Location data
file, CL).
• Use post-processor to generate machine control data
for a particular machine. This is the same as NC
blocks.
Automatically Programmed Tools (ATP) language is the most
comprehensive and widely used program. The language is based
on common words and easy to use mathematical notations
Mechanical Engineering Department 36
Part Programming from CAD Database
“Integrated CAD/CAM Systems”
• In an integrated CAD/CAM system, the geometry
and tool motions are derived automatically from
the CAD database by the NC program (Pro/E,
Unigraphics, ….)
• No need for manual programming or using APT
language.
Mechanical Engineering Department 37
Integrated CAD/CAM System
• The CAD system is used to develop a geometric model of
the part which is then used by the CAM system to generate
part programs for CNC machine tools.
• Both CAD and CAM functions may be performed either by
the same system or separate systems in different rooms or
even countries.
• Extending the connection between CAD and CAM to its
logical limits within a company yields the concept of the
computer-integrated enterprise (CIE). In CIE all aspects of
the enterprise is computer aided, from management and
sales to product design and manufacturing.
• CAD and Cam (Computer Aided Manufacturing) together
create a link between product design and manufacturing.
Mechanical Engineering Department 38
CAD/CAM
• CAD/CAM systems allow for rapid development and
modifying of designs and documentation.
• The 3D geometric model produced becomes a common
element for engineering analysis (FEA), machining
process planning (including CNC part programming,
documentation (including engineering drawings), quality
control, and so on.
• The coupling of CAD and CAM considerably shortens
the time needed to bring a new product to market.
• Increased productivity is generally the justification for
using CAD/CAM system.
Mechanical Engineering Department 39
Product Data Management System (PDM)
Product development cycle includes activities not only
in design and manufacturing but also in analysis,
quality assurance, packaging, shipping, and
marketing.
Software systems called product data management
(PDM) are available to smooth data flow among all
these activities.
Some available software; SDRC’s Metaphase,
Unigraphics’s IMAN, Computer Vision’s Optegra.
(web-enabled software).
Co –Ordinate Measuring Machine - CMM
Mechanical Engineering Department
Mechanical Engineering Department 41
Electrical Discharge Machine - EDM
Die-sinking EDM systems, the electrode (cutting tool) and workpiece are
held by the machine tool. The power supply controls the electrical
discharges and movement of the electrode in relation to the workpiece.
During operation the workpiece is submerged in a bath of dielectric fluid
(electrically nonconducting). (Die-Sinking EDM is also called Sinker,
Ram-Type, Conventional, Plunge or Vertical EDM)
Mechanical Engineering Department 42
EDM – Die-Sinking (Plunge)
• The spark discharges are pulsed on and off at a high frequency
cycle and can repeat 250,000 times per second. Each discharge
melts or vaporizes a small area of the workpiece surface.
• During normal operation the electrode never touches the
workpiece, but is separated by a small spark gap.
• The amount of material removed from the workpiece
with each pulse is directly proportional to the energy
it contains.
• The electrode (plunger) can be a complex shape, and can be
moved in X, Y, and Z axes, as well as rotated, enabling more
complex shapes with accuracy better than one mil.
• Plunge EDM is best used in tool
and die manufacturing, or creating
extremely accurate molds for
injection-molding plastic parts.
Mechanical Engineering Department 43
EDM
• A relatively soft graphite or
metallic electrode can easily
machine hardened tool steels or
tungsten carbide. One of the many
attractive benefits of using the
EDM process.
• The dielectric fluid performs the following functions:
 It acts as an insulator until sufficiently high potential is
reached .
 Acts as a coolant medium and reduces the extremely high
temp. in the arc gap.
 More importantly, the dielectric fluid is pumped through
the arc gap to flush away the eroded particles between the
workpiece and the electrode which is critical to high metal
removal rates and good machining conditions.
Mechanical Engineering Department 44
EDM
The EDM process can be used on any material that is an
electrical conductor
The EDM process does not involve mechanical energy,
therefore, materials with high hardness and strength can
easily be machined.
Applications include producing die cavity for large
components, deep small holes, complicated internal
cavities
Dimensional accuracy of ± 0.0005 in is achievable.
Minimum wall thickness: .01 inch, over 5 inch span
Feature to feature positioning: .001
Mechanical Engineering Department 45
Wire EDM
Wire EDM machines utilize a very thin wire (.0008 to .012 in.) as an
electrode. The wire is stretched between diamond guides and carbide
that conduct current to the wire and cuts the part like a band saw.
Material is removed by the erosion caused by a spark that moves
horizontally with the wire.
Mechanical Engineering Department 46
Intricately detailed automobile part
EDM Examples
7075-T6 aluminum back plate latch, EDM
cost is less than half the milling cost.
These simple, flat shapes, used in food
processing, which usually would be stamped,
were wire EDMed instead because they required
a superior quality edge.
Mechanical Engineering Department 47
EDM Examples
To manufacture titanium
earring shapes wire EDM
proved the most cost
effective when compared
to stamping and laser
cutting.
Small gear (with insect
for scale) shows a
capability of EDM
micromachining.
Small parts made using EDM
Turbine blades
Mechanical Engineering Department 48
CNC Machines
Laser Machining and Cutting
The machine utilizes an intense beam of focused laser light to cut the part.
Material under the beam experiences a rapid rise in temp. and is vaporized. Laser
cuts with a minimum of distortion, no mechanical cutting forces.
.
Gas is blown into the cut to clear away molten metals,
or other materials in the cutting zone. In some cases,
the gas jet can be chosen to react chemically with the
workpiece to produce heat and accelerate the cutting
speed
Mechanical Engineering Department 49
• Today, laser cutting is used extensively for producing
profiled flat plate and sheet, for diverse applications in the
engineering industry sectors.
• Metals, ceramics, polymers and natural materials such as
wood and rubber can all be cut using CO2 lasers.
• Sheet metal cutting has since become, by far, the dominant industrial
use of lasers in materials processing. Approximately 12 000 industrial
laser cutting systems have been installed world-wide, with a total
market value of some 4.5 billion US dollars. Over 60% of this
equipment is installed in Japan.
Laser machining and Cutting
• The first ever ‘gas-assisted’ laser cuts were done in1967.
Mechanical Engineering Department 50
Laser machining and Cutting
Mechanical Engineering Department 51
Laser machining and Cutting
• Excellent control of the laser beam with a stable motion
system achieves an extreme edge quality. Laser-cut parts
have a condition of nearly zero edge deformation, or roll-off
• Laser cutting has higher accuracy rates over other
methods using heat generation, as well as water jet
cutting.
• There is quicker turnaround for parts regardless of the
complexity, because changes of the design of parts can be
easily accommodated. Laser cutting also reduces wastage.
Advantages
• It is also faster than conventional tool-making techniques.
Mechanical Engineering Department 52
Laser machining and Cutting
• The material being cut gets very hot, so in narrow
areas, thermal expansion may be a problem.
• Distortion can be caused by oxygen, which is sometimes
used as an assist gas, because it puts stress into the cut
edge of some materials; this is typically a problem in
dense patterns of holes.
• Lasers also require high energy, making them costly to run.
• Lasers are not very effective on metals such as
aluminum and copper alloys due to their ability to
reflect light as well as absorb and conduct heat. Neither
are lasers appropriate to use on crystal, glass and other
transparent materials.
Disadvantages
Mechanical Engineering Department 53
Laser machining and Cutting
Laser drilling hole Laser welding in automobile
industry

MT-II UNIT V CNC MACHINING

  • 1.
  • 2.
    Mechanical Engineering Department2 Numerical Control • Numerical control is a method of automatically operating a manufacturing machine based on a code of letters, numbers, and special characters. • The numerical data required to produce a part is provided to a machine in the form of a program, called part program or CNC program. • The program is translated into the appropriate electrical signals for input to motors that run the machine.
  • 3.
    Mechanical Engineering Department3 Numerical Control - History • The concept is credited to John Parson (1947). Using punched cards he was able to control the position of a machine in an attempt to machine helicopter blade. • US Air Force teamed up with MIT to develop a programmable milling machine (1949). • In 1952, a three-axis Cincinnati Hydrotel milling machine was demonstrated. The term Numerical Control (NC) originated. The machine had an electromechanical controller and used punched cards. • A new class of machines called machining centers and turning centers that could perform multiple machining processes was developed. • Modern NC machine has a computer on board, Computer Numerical Control (CNC). They can run unattended at over 20,000 rpm (spindler speed) with a feed rate of over 600 ipm and an accuracy of .0001
  • 4.
    Mechanical Engineering Department4 Computer Numerical Control (CNC) A CNC machine is an NC machine with the added feature of an on-board computer.
  • 5.
  • 6.
    Mechanical Engineering Department6 Hardware Configuration of NC Machine Machine Control Unit (MCU) the brain of the NC machine. The Data Processing Unit (DPU) reads the part program. The Control Loop Unit (CLU) controls the machine tool operation.
  • 7.
  • 8.
    CNC • The CNChaving the same operation as that of NC. • The only difference is the usage of computer. • The part program is stored in the inbuilt computer. • So when ever the machining needed or altered , they have simply altered the saved program Mechanical Engineering Department
  • 9.
  • 10.
  • 11.
    Mechanical Engineering Department11 CNC Machines Machining Centers, equipped with automatic tool changers, are capable of changing 90 or more tools. Can perform milling, drilling, tapping, boring… on many faces.
  • 12.
    Mechanical Engineering Department12 CNC Machines Turning Centers are capable of executing many different types of lathe cutting operations simultaneously on a rotating part.
  • 13.
    Mechanical Engineering Department13 CNC Controllers The NC controller is the brain of the NC system, it controls all functions of the machine. • Motion control deals with the tool position, orientation and speed. • Auxiliary control deals with spindle rpm, tool change, fixture clamping and coolant. Many different types of controllers are available in the market (GE, Fanuc, Allen-Bradley, Okuma, Bendix, …). There are two basic types of control systems: point-to-point and continuous path.
  • 14.
    Mechanical Engineering Department14 Point-to-Point Tool Movements Point-to-point control systems cause the tool to move to a point on the part and execute an operation at that point only. The tool is not in continuous contact with the part while it is moving. Drilling, reaming, punching, boring and tapping are examples of point-to-point operations.
  • 15.
    Mechanical Engineering Department15 Continuous-Path Tool Movements Continuous-path controllers cause the tool to maintain continuous contact with the part as the tool cuts a contour shape. These operations include milling along any lines at any angle, milling arcs and lathe turning.
  • 16.
    Mechanical Engineering Department16 Loop Systems for Controlling Tool Movement Open Loop System Uses stepping motor to create movement. Motors rotate a fixed amount for each pulse received from the MCU. The motor sends a signal back indicating that the movement is completed. No feedback to check how close the actual machine movement comes to the exact movement programmed.
  • 17.
    Mechanical Engineering Department17 Flow of Computer-Aided CNC Processing • Develop or obtain the 3D geometric model of the part, using CAD. • Decide which machining operations and cutter-path directions are required (computer assisted). • Choose the tooling required (computer assisted). • Run CAM software to generate the CNC part program. • Verify and edit program. • Download the part program to the appropriate machine. • Verify the program on the actual machine and edit if necessary. • Run the program and produce the part.
  • 18.
    Mechanical Engineering Department18 Basic Concept of Part Programming Part programming contains geometric data about the part and motion information to move the cutting tool with respect to the work piece. Basically, the machine receives instructions as a sequence of blocks containing commands to set machine parameters; speed, feed and other relevant information. A block is equivalent to a line of codes in a part program. N135 G01 X1.0 Y1.0 Z0.125 T01 F5.0 Coordinates Special function Block number G-code Tool number
  • 19.
    DRIVE SYSTEM • ACMotor • DC Motor Mechanical Engineering Department
  • 20.
  • 21.
  • 22.
    Hydraulic Power Supply MechanicalEngineering Department
  • 23.
  • 24.
  • 25.
    Mechanical Engineering Department25 Basic Concept of Part Programming Preparatory command (G code) The G codes prepare the MCU for a given operation, typically involving a cutter motion. G00 rapid motion, point-to-point positioning G01 linear interpolation (generating a sloped or straight cut) G06 parabolic interpolation (produces a segment of a parabola) G17 XY plane selection G20 circular interpolation G28 automatic return to reference point G33 thread cutting
  • 26.
    Mechanical Engineering Department26 Basic Concept of Part Programming Miscellaneous commands (M code) M00 program stop M03 start spindle rotation (cw) M06 tool change M07 turn coolant on Feed commands (F code) Used to specify the cutter feed rates in inch per minute. Speed commands (S code) Used to specify the spindle speed in rpm. Tool commands (T code) Specifies which tool to be used, machines with automatic tool changer.
  • 27.
    Mechanical Engineering Department27 CNC Machine Axes of Motion The coordinate system used for the tool path must be identical to the coordinate system used by the CNC machine. The standards for machine axes are established according to the industry standard report EIA RS-267A. Right hand rule Vertical milling machine CNC machines milling machines can perform simultaneous linear motion along the three axis and are called three-axes machines. Horizontal milling machine
  • 28.
    Mechanical Engineering Department28 CNC Machine Axes of Motion Coordinate system for a Lathe
  • 29.
    Mechanical Engineering Department29 CNC Machine Axes of Motion More complex CNC machines have the capability of executing additional rotary motions (4th and 5th axes).
  • 30.
    Mechanical Engineering Department30 CNC Machine Axes of Motion Five-axis machine configurations
  • 31.
    Mechanical Engineering Department31 CNC Machine Tool Positioning Modes Within a given machine axes coordinate system, CNC can be programmed to locate tool positions in the following modes; incremental, absolute, or mixed.
  • 32.
    Mechanical Engineering Department32 Example of a part program Loading tool N003 G00 X0.0 Y0.0 Z40.0 T01 M06 Tool change Rapid motion Positioning tool at P1 N004 G01 X75.0 Y0.0 Z-40.0 F350 M03 M08 Start spindle Start coolant Linear interpolation N001 G91 (incremental) N002 G71 (metric)
  • 33.
    Mechanical Engineering Department33 Example of a part program Moving tool from P1 to P3 through P2 N005 G01 X110 N006 G01 Y70.0 Tool dia.=10 mm Moving tool from P3 to P4 along a straight line and from P4 to P5 clockwise along circular arc. N007 G01 X-40.86 N008 G02 X-28.28 Y0.0 I-14.14 J-5.0
  • 34.
    Mechanical Engineering Department34 Example of a part program X and Y specify the end point of the arc (P5) with respect to the start point (P4). I and J specify the center of the arc with respect to the start point. N008 G02 X-28.28 Y0.0 I-14.14 J-5.0 14.14
  • 35.
    Mechanical Engineering Department35 Computer-Assisted Part Programming • Identify the part geometry, cutter motions, speeds, feeds, and cutter parameter. • Code the above information using ATP. • Compile to produce the list of cutter movements and machine control information (Cutter Location data file, CL). • Use post-processor to generate machine control data for a particular machine. This is the same as NC blocks. Automatically Programmed Tools (ATP) language is the most comprehensive and widely used program. The language is based on common words and easy to use mathematical notations
  • 36.
    Mechanical Engineering Department36 Part Programming from CAD Database “Integrated CAD/CAM Systems” • In an integrated CAD/CAM system, the geometry and tool motions are derived automatically from the CAD database by the NC program (Pro/E, Unigraphics, ….) • No need for manual programming or using APT language.
  • 37.
    Mechanical Engineering Department37 Integrated CAD/CAM System • The CAD system is used to develop a geometric model of the part which is then used by the CAM system to generate part programs for CNC machine tools. • Both CAD and CAM functions may be performed either by the same system or separate systems in different rooms or even countries. • Extending the connection between CAD and CAM to its logical limits within a company yields the concept of the computer-integrated enterprise (CIE). In CIE all aspects of the enterprise is computer aided, from management and sales to product design and manufacturing. • CAD and Cam (Computer Aided Manufacturing) together create a link between product design and manufacturing.
  • 38.
    Mechanical Engineering Department38 CAD/CAM • CAD/CAM systems allow for rapid development and modifying of designs and documentation. • The 3D geometric model produced becomes a common element for engineering analysis (FEA), machining process planning (including CNC part programming, documentation (including engineering drawings), quality control, and so on. • The coupling of CAD and CAM considerably shortens the time needed to bring a new product to market. • Increased productivity is generally the justification for using CAD/CAM system.
  • 39.
    Mechanical Engineering Department39 Product Data Management System (PDM) Product development cycle includes activities not only in design and manufacturing but also in analysis, quality assurance, packaging, shipping, and marketing. Software systems called product data management (PDM) are available to smooth data flow among all these activities. Some available software; SDRC’s Metaphase, Unigraphics’s IMAN, Computer Vision’s Optegra. (web-enabled software).
  • 40.
    Co –Ordinate MeasuringMachine - CMM Mechanical Engineering Department
  • 41.
    Mechanical Engineering Department41 Electrical Discharge Machine - EDM Die-sinking EDM systems, the electrode (cutting tool) and workpiece are held by the machine tool. The power supply controls the electrical discharges and movement of the electrode in relation to the workpiece. During operation the workpiece is submerged in a bath of dielectric fluid (electrically nonconducting). (Die-Sinking EDM is also called Sinker, Ram-Type, Conventional, Plunge or Vertical EDM)
  • 42.
    Mechanical Engineering Department42 EDM – Die-Sinking (Plunge) • The spark discharges are pulsed on and off at a high frequency cycle and can repeat 250,000 times per second. Each discharge melts or vaporizes a small area of the workpiece surface. • During normal operation the electrode never touches the workpiece, but is separated by a small spark gap. • The amount of material removed from the workpiece with each pulse is directly proportional to the energy it contains. • The electrode (plunger) can be a complex shape, and can be moved in X, Y, and Z axes, as well as rotated, enabling more complex shapes with accuracy better than one mil. • Plunge EDM is best used in tool and die manufacturing, or creating extremely accurate molds for injection-molding plastic parts.
  • 43.
    Mechanical Engineering Department43 EDM • A relatively soft graphite or metallic electrode can easily machine hardened tool steels or tungsten carbide. One of the many attractive benefits of using the EDM process. • The dielectric fluid performs the following functions:  It acts as an insulator until sufficiently high potential is reached .  Acts as a coolant medium and reduces the extremely high temp. in the arc gap.  More importantly, the dielectric fluid is pumped through the arc gap to flush away the eroded particles between the workpiece and the electrode which is critical to high metal removal rates and good machining conditions.
  • 44.
    Mechanical Engineering Department44 EDM The EDM process can be used on any material that is an electrical conductor The EDM process does not involve mechanical energy, therefore, materials with high hardness and strength can easily be machined. Applications include producing die cavity for large components, deep small holes, complicated internal cavities Dimensional accuracy of ± 0.0005 in is achievable. Minimum wall thickness: .01 inch, over 5 inch span Feature to feature positioning: .001
  • 45.
    Mechanical Engineering Department45 Wire EDM Wire EDM machines utilize a very thin wire (.0008 to .012 in.) as an electrode. The wire is stretched between diamond guides and carbide that conduct current to the wire and cuts the part like a band saw. Material is removed by the erosion caused by a spark that moves horizontally with the wire.
  • 46.
    Mechanical Engineering Department46 Intricately detailed automobile part EDM Examples 7075-T6 aluminum back plate latch, EDM cost is less than half the milling cost. These simple, flat shapes, used in food processing, which usually would be stamped, were wire EDMed instead because they required a superior quality edge.
  • 47.
    Mechanical Engineering Department47 EDM Examples To manufacture titanium earring shapes wire EDM proved the most cost effective when compared to stamping and laser cutting. Small gear (with insect for scale) shows a capability of EDM micromachining. Small parts made using EDM Turbine blades
  • 48.
    Mechanical Engineering Department48 CNC Machines Laser Machining and Cutting The machine utilizes an intense beam of focused laser light to cut the part. Material under the beam experiences a rapid rise in temp. and is vaporized. Laser cuts with a minimum of distortion, no mechanical cutting forces. . Gas is blown into the cut to clear away molten metals, or other materials in the cutting zone. In some cases, the gas jet can be chosen to react chemically with the workpiece to produce heat and accelerate the cutting speed
  • 49.
    Mechanical Engineering Department49 • Today, laser cutting is used extensively for producing profiled flat plate and sheet, for diverse applications in the engineering industry sectors. • Metals, ceramics, polymers and natural materials such as wood and rubber can all be cut using CO2 lasers. • Sheet metal cutting has since become, by far, the dominant industrial use of lasers in materials processing. Approximately 12 000 industrial laser cutting systems have been installed world-wide, with a total market value of some 4.5 billion US dollars. Over 60% of this equipment is installed in Japan. Laser machining and Cutting • The first ever ‘gas-assisted’ laser cuts were done in1967.
  • 50.
    Mechanical Engineering Department50 Laser machining and Cutting
  • 51.
    Mechanical Engineering Department51 Laser machining and Cutting • Excellent control of the laser beam with a stable motion system achieves an extreme edge quality. Laser-cut parts have a condition of nearly zero edge deformation, or roll-off • Laser cutting has higher accuracy rates over other methods using heat generation, as well as water jet cutting. • There is quicker turnaround for parts regardless of the complexity, because changes of the design of parts can be easily accommodated. Laser cutting also reduces wastage. Advantages • It is also faster than conventional tool-making techniques.
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    Mechanical Engineering Department52 Laser machining and Cutting • The material being cut gets very hot, so in narrow areas, thermal expansion may be a problem. • Distortion can be caused by oxygen, which is sometimes used as an assist gas, because it puts stress into the cut edge of some materials; this is typically a problem in dense patterns of holes. • Lasers also require high energy, making them costly to run. • Lasers are not very effective on metals such as aluminum and copper alloys due to their ability to reflect light as well as absorb and conduct heat. Neither are lasers appropriate to use on crystal, glass and other transparent materials. Disadvantages
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    Mechanical Engineering Department53 Laser machining and Cutting Laser drilling hole Laser welding in automobile industry