CNC electric spark wire cutting processing technology and tooling

First, CNC electric wire cutting process

The line cutting process is mainly a reasonable choice of electrical processing parameters and mechanical parameters. Electrical processing parameters include pulse width and frequency, discharge gap, peak current, and the like. Mechanical parameters include feed rate and wire speed. Should comprehensively consider the impact of various parameters on the processing, reasonable selection of process parameters, in the premise of ensuring the quality of the workpiece processing, improve productivity and reduce production costs.

1. The choice of electrical processing parameters

The correct choice of pulse power processing parameters can improve the processing index and processing stability. When roughing, a larger processing current and a large pulse energy should be used to obtain a higher material removal rate (ie, processing productivity). In the finishing process, a smaller processing current and a smaller single pulse energy should be used to obtain a lower surface roughness of the machined workpiece.

The processing current refers to the average value of the current passing through the processing area. The single pulse energy is mainly determined by the pulse width, peak current, and processing amplitude voltage. The pulse width refers to the duration of the pulse current when the pulse is discharged. The peak current refers to the peak value of the pulse current during the discharge processing. The processing amplitude voltage refers to the peak value of the pulse voltage during the discharge machining.

The following reference examples are available for use:

(1) Finishing: Pulse width selects the minimum gear, voltage amplitude selects low gear, amplitude voltage is about 75V, connects one to two power tubes, adjusts the frequency conversion potentiometer, the machining current is controlled at 0.8~1.2A, and the machining surface Roughness Ra≤2.5um.

(2) Maximum material removal rate processing: Pulse width is selected from 4th to 5th gears, voltage amplitude is selected from “high” value, amplitude voltage is about 100V, power tube is all turned on, frequency potentiometer is adjusted, and processing current is controlled at 4~ 4.5A, the removal rate (processing rate) of about 100 mm2/min can be obtained. (The material thickness is about 40~60mm).

(3) Large-thickness workpiece processing (>300mm): amplitude voltage hits "high" gear, pulse width selects five to six gears, power tube opens 4~5, machining current is controlled at 2.5~3A, material removal rate> 30mm2/min.

(4) Large-thickness workpiece processing (60~100mm): amplitude voltage hits high grade, pulse width selects five levels, power tube opens four or so, processing current is adjusted to 2.5~3A, material removal rate is 50~60mm2/min .

(5) Thin workpiece machining: Amplitude voltage is selected as low gear, pulse width is selected as the first or second gear, power tube is opened 2~3, and the processing current is adjusted to about 1A.

Note that the pulse power output must be turned off to change the electrical parameters of the processing. (Except for adjusting the interval potentiometer RP1), the processing power standard should not be changed during the processing, otherwise it will cause the surface roughness of the processing is not the same.

2. Selection of mechanical parameters

For ordinary wire cutting machine, the wire speed is generally fixed. The adjustment of the feed rate is mainly the adjustment of the gap between the electrode wire and the workpiece. Feeding speed and erosion speed should be well coordinated during cutting and do not lag behind or track too tightly. The feed rate is adjusted mainly by adjusting the variable feed rate. Under a specific machining condition, there is only one corresponding optimal feed rate. At this time, the feeding speed of the molybdenum wire is exactly equal to the actual maximum erasing rate of the workpiece. . Under-tracking often results in open-circuit machining, virtually reducing productivity, and current instability, which can easily lead to broken wires. Over-tight tracking can easily lead to short-circuits and can also reduce the rate of material removal. Generally adjust the frequency conversion feed so that the processing current is about 0.85 times the short-circuit current (the current meter pointer is slightly shaken). It can guarantee the best working condition, that is, the frequency conversion feed speed is the most reasonable, the processing is most stable, and the cutting speed is the highest. The following table shows how to adjust the frequency conversion according to the feed state.

Table Adjust the frequency conversion method according to the feed state

Real-frequency status

Feed state

Working surface condition

Cutting speed

Electrode wire

Frequency adjustment

Tracking

Slow and steady

Brown

low

Slightly coke, fast aging

Should slow down the feed rate

Tracking

Suddenly

Uneven

Not clean

Easy to get deep marks

Faster

Easy to burn, silk

White spot scars

Should speed up the feed rate

Poor tracking

Slow and steady

Slightly brown, striped

low

Focus color

Should slightly increase the feed rate

Best tracking

Very stable

White, smooth

fast

White, slow aging

No need to adjust

Second, the application of electric spark wire cutting process equipment

The form of workpiece clamping has a direct influence on the machining accuracy. It is common to use a platen screw to fix the workpiece on a universal fixture. In order to adapt to the needs of various shapes of workpiece processing, magnetic fixtures or special fixtures can also be used.

1. The name, purpose and use of common fixtures

(1) Platen clamp It is mainly used for fixing flat-shaped workpieces, and is used in pairs for slightly larger workpieces. If there is a positioning reference surface on the fixture, the fixture positioning reference surface should be calibrated in parallel with the corresponding guide rail of the worktable beforehand with a stylus or dial indicator. This is convenient when processing a batch of workpieces because the cutting of the cutting cavity is easy. It is generally based on one side of the template. When the clamps are used in pairs, the heights of the two reference surfaces must be equal. Otherwise, the cut-out cavity is not perpendicular to the end surface of the workpiece, resulting in waste products. A V-shaped reference can be machined on the fixture to hold the shaft-like workpiece.

(2)Magnetic clamps use magnetic table or magnetic table holder to clamp the workpiece. It is mainly used to clamp steel workpieces. Because it absorbs the workpiece by magnetic force, it does not need the pressure plate and screws. The operation is quick and convenient. Press and change, as shown in Figure 1.

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Figure 1 Magnetic fixture

2. Workpiece clamping general requirements

(1) The reference surface of the workpiece should be clean without burrs. After the heat-treated workpiece, heat treatment residues and oxide scales should be removed in the threading holes and the stepped holes.

(2) The fixture should have the necessary accuracy, be firmly fixed on the workbench, and the force should be even when tightening the screw.

(3) The position of the workpiece clamp should be conducive to align the workpiece and be compatible with the stroke of the machine tool. The workpiece must not collide with the wire frame when the table is moved.

(4) The clamping force on the workpiece must be uniform and the workpiece must not be deformed or tilted.

(5) When a large number of parts are processed, it is best to use a special fixture to increase the production efficiency.

(6) Small, precise, thin-walled workpieces should be fixed on an auxiliary fixture that is not easily deformed.

3. Bracing method

There are mainly cantilever support methods, two-end support methods, bridge support methods, plate support methods, and multiple support methods.

4. Workpiece adjustment

When the workpiece is clamped, adjustments must be made in conjunction with the alignment so that the positioning reference plane of the workpiece is kept parallel to the feed direction of the table or table of the machine tool to ensure the relative position accuracy between the cut surface and the reference plane. The commonly used methods of correction are:

(1) Dial indicator method As shown in Fig. 2, the dial indicator is fixed on the silk frame with a magnetic watch stand, and the work table is moved back and forth. The position of the work piece is adjusted according to the indicator value on the dial indicator until the indicator of the dial indicator is biased. The pendulum range achieves the required accuracy.

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Figure 2 Dial indicator alignment Figure 3 Line alignment

(2) Marking correction method As shown in Fig. 3, the workbench is reciprocally moved by using a reference line drawn on a normal work piece by a stroke fixed on the wire frame, and the deviation between the stylus and the reference line is visually observed to adjust the position of the work piece. This method is suitable for workpiece processing with low precision.

5. Wire position adjustment

Before the wire cutting process, the electrode wire should be adjusted to the starting coordinate position of the cutting. The adjustment methods are as follows:

(1) Visual inspection method As shown in Fig. 4, the cross reference line drawn at the threading hole is used to observe the relative position of the electrode wire and the reference line along the scribe direction, and the worktable is moved according to the deviation between the two. When coincident with the reference lines of the longitudinal and transverse directions respectively, the readings on the dials of the vertical and horizontal directions of the worktable determine the center position of the wire electrode.

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Figure 4: Adjusting wire position by visual inspection

(2) Spark method As shown in Fig. 5, turn on the high frequency and the transport tube (Note: The voltage amplitude, pulse width and peak current must be minimized, and do not open the coolant). Move the table to bring the reference surface of the workpiece close to Electrode wire, in the moment of spark, note the relative coordinates of the table, and then calculate the center coordinates of the electrode wire according to the discharge gap. Although this method is simple and easy, it has poor positioning accuracy.

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Figure 5 spark electrode wire position adjustment

1 - Workpiece 2 - Electrode Wire 3 - Spark

(3) Automatic alignment The general wire-cutting machine tools have the functions of automatic edge finding and automatic center finding. The method of operation varies from machine to machine.