Practical N.C. Continuous Wire E.D.M. Machines

This paper attempts to draw attention to some of the implications which an engineering company must view when considering the purchase of a wire machine by analysing not only the principal applications of wire machines such as the manufacture of press tools, electrodes, extrusion dies, carbides, prototype samples and low quantity repetition production, but also the process route involved, from the component drawing, through programming, program checking, setting, cutting and inspection.This is followed by a breakdown of the choice of machine parameters; i.e. number of axes, N.C. control systems, spark eroding generator, dielectric system, machine frame, guides and table and some related discourse on the state of the art.In conclusion it then considers how a wire machine fits into an organisation and how the choice of design parameters should be related to the interests of the engineering user in the context of financial obligations and availability of labour and its distribution of training and experience.