Metalworking experts, wire-cut is the first choice for complex parts!

 

Precision wire cutting: 0.005mm accuracy, the ultimate tool for cutting complex metals

 

What is Wire Cutting?

Wire cutting is short for wire cutting, wire cutting processing is through the discharge principle of electrical discharge parts processing, also known as electrical discharge wire cutting. Specifically, the workpiece is connected to the positive electrode of the pulse power supply, molybdenum wire or copper wire is used as a cutting wire, and the metal wire is connected to the negative electrode of the high-frequency pulse power supply as a tool electrode, and the machining parts are cut by spark discharge.

 

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When the former Soviet Union Lazarenko and his wife studied the phenomenon and causes of the switch contacts damaged by spark discharge corrosion, they found that the instantaneous high temperature of the electric spark could melt, oxidize and corrode the local metal, thus creating and inventing the electric discharge machining method. At present, most wire-cutting machine tools use microcomputer control system, which has a high degree of automation.

 

What is the principle of wire cutting?

Wire cutting is an unconventional machining process based on the principle of electric discharge machining (EDM), which is often used to cut hard materials, such as hardened tool steel and cemented carbide, to produce metal parts with complex geometry.

The basic working principle of wire cutting can be illustrated by a picture.

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The cutting wire [2] is fed from the wire wheel [1] via the guide wheel [3] and the control unit [4]. To resist wear and tear, the control unit is usually made of diamond. The cut lines are eventually collected by the collection wheel [5] or cut into small pieces when consumed. Through the power supply connection, the cutting wire acts as the cathode and the workpiece acts as the anode. When the electrode (in this case, the cutting wire) is placed close to the workpiece, a spark discharge occurs, which causes the material on the workpiece to be removed. The discharge is supported by a dielectric [6], which helps to cool the material, and the process can also be completely immersed in the dielectric. The spark gap [7] results in the machined profile being slightly larger than the diameter of the wire [8]. The machining profile is usually controlled by the movement of the workpiece in the horizontal plane.

Why choose Wire Cutting?

Compared with the traditional turning, milling and drilling processing methods, line cutting has its own characteristics:

(1) The direct use of 0.03-0.35mm metal wire as an electrode does not require a specific shape, which can save the design and manufacturing costs of the electrode;
(2) Regardless of the hardness of the workpiece material, as long as it is a conductor or semiconductor material, it can be processed, and the electrode wire loss is small, and the processing precision is high;
(3) Suitable for small batch, complex shape parts, single pieces and trial products processing, and the processing cycle is short;
(4) In the EDM wire cutting process, the electrode wire and the workpiece are not in direct contact, and the role between the two is very small, so the deformation of the workpiece is small, and the electrode wire and fixture do not need too high strength;
(5) The working fluid adopts water-based emulsion, which has low cost and will not cause fire;
(6) It is not suitable for processing large quantities of parts with simple shapes, nor can it process non-conductive parts.
 

Why choosing our Wire Cutting?

‌1. Hard power of equipment and technology ‌
Swiss Archimir slow wire ‌ : 0.005mm accuracy, can cut 800mm thick workpiece
Japan Sadiq central threading ‌ : automatic threading + intelligent repair knife, processing efficiency increased by 40%
Full closed-loop control system ‌ : temperature compensation +AI dressing technology, continuous processing 24 hours of stable precision
‌2. Labeling core competencies ‌
‌ Super difficult materials library ‌ : cemented carbide/titanium alloy/superalloy/polycrystalline diamond
‌ Ultimate Accuracy list ‌ :
✔ Minimum wire diameter: φ0.02mm copper wire
✔ Minimum interior Angle R: R0.03mm
✔ Maximum thickness: 1000mm (layered cutting)
‌3. Quality assurance system ‌
Coordinate detection (accuracy 0.002mm) + White light profiler (surface topography analysis)
ISO 9013 compliant, full-size inspection reports available.
 

 

Wire-cutting technology processing range:

1, processing die, such as precision die processing and manufacturing, electrical discharge wire cutting processing is an indispensable key technology. Including large, medium and small die punch, concave die, fixed plate, discharge plate and other processing.

2, processing insert cavity die, powder metallurgy die, bending die, wire drawing die, etc.

3, processing templates, molding tools, etc.

4, processing fine special-shaped holes, narrow cracks and complex shape parts, such as special-shaped hole spinneret, jet components, laser devices, electronic devices and other microholes and narrow cracks.

5, processing a variety of special materials and special structure parts, such as electronic devices, instruments, motors, clocks and other parts, as well as gears, thin-shell devices.

Cutting of various conductive materials, especially rare precious metals; Cutting off various special structural parts, etc.

 

How accurate is wire-cut processing?

Because wire cutting is a very precise machining method, its machining accuracy depends on a number of factors, including process parameters, electrode and workpiece material, current, pulse interval, electrode and workpiece distance, etc. Finer cutting lines and more sophisticated control systems allow for higher machining accuracy.

In general, wire cutting can reach an accuracy range of tens of microns to hundreds of microns. The machining accuracy of high-precision wire cutting can reach ±2.5um level, even ±1um, and the roughness can also reach 0.15-0.2uRa. It should be noted that the processing accuracy and surface quality are often affected by the processing speed. Higher machining speeds may lead to reduced machining accuracy and deterioration of surface quality. Therefore, it is necessary to weigh the relationship between machining speed, machining accuracy and surface quality when selecting machining parameters.

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What materials is wire cutting suitable for processing?

Wire cutting is very practical for processing hard and brittle materials, such as tool steel, hardened tool steel, hard alloy steel, inconel and other traditional processing methods are difficult to process materials. Or machining complex contours for parts in the aerospace or medical industries.

In addition, a wire cutter can be used to cut any conductive material, including copper, brass, aluminum, Hastelloy, etc.

 

So can you wire cut graphite?

Yes, the wire cutter can cut graphite, but graphite is very brittle and needs to be handled carefully, and the cutting speed is very slow; In addition, it is best to carry out ordinary processing of graphite by milling, using wire cutting machines to process complex contours. In this way, the process can be made more economical and faster. After EDM, the graphite needs to be dried to remove moisture.

 

So can titanium metal be EDM?

Yes, wire cutters can cut titanium alloys, and galvanized brass can be used to cut wires (electrodes) for better speed and surface finish. In addition, the cutting process may encounter the problem of broken wire, which can be minimized by adjusting the current value and the length of the "pulse off time".

 

What is the discharge wire made of?

In order to minimize the corrosion of the electrode and maintain a good finish of the processing surface, the electrode is generally made of brass, galvanized brass, tungsten, molybdenum wire, copper tungsten, carbide, copper graphite, etc. Galvanized brass wire is used for faster cuts and with fewer breaks, while molybdenum wire is used for precise applications and where brass marks are not required. The diameter of the cutting line is 0.25mm, 0.18mm, 0.1mm, 0.015mm, 0.05mm, etc.

The wire in the wire cutting machine is only used once, because the wire will weaken after the spark discharge, and the used wire will go into the bottom spool, and then cut into small pieces as scrap.

 

Dielectric solution for wire cutting

The continuous flow of liquid from the wire cutting machine washes away tiny chips, cools the workpiece, and fills the spark gap area with fresh liquid. Dielectric fluid usually acts as an insulator and does not allow current to flow from the wire (electrode) to the workpiece, however, when the discharge voltage exceeds the dielectric strength, it becomes conductive and allows the current to pass through in the form of a spark.

Deionized water is widely used as a dielectric fluid in wire cutting machines for the following reasons: Deionized water has a lower dielectric strength than kerosene (hydrocarbon oil), so it allows spark discharge to occur with a relatively large spark gap compared to kerosene, which means faster material removal. Also, compared to kerosene, deionized water can remove more heat from the spark discharge area, which is very useful when discharging at a low current at a higher pulse frequency. Due to the high cooling effect, there are fewer heat affected zone and recast layer problems when using deionized water.

In addition, compared to kerosene, deionized water has a higher material removal rate and a better surface finish. In addition, deionized water does not have problems such as harmful vapors and is harmless to human skin. However, deionized water quickly loses its insulating properties, so you must have a deionized system.

 

The following parts are for CNC wire cutting parts:

 

 

CNC Wire cutting Gear                                                 CNC wire cutting heatsink

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CNC Wire Cutting Pullers                                           CNC Wire Cutting Disk Hubs

 

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From design to finished product, wire cutting helps you push the limits of the process!

 

Please send us drawing to get a quote now!