| Description |
Technological advancements have created a demand for ever more complex components with extremely small features, high aspect ratios, and tight tolerances. Components are also being made from harder materials, which are more difficult to produce with traditional machining methods. Electric discharge machining (EDM) offers a manufacturing method that addresses these issues. Micro electric discharge milling is a powerful method that rotates the electrode and enables the cutting of complex 3-D pockets with standard electrodes. In order to meet some of the challenges in the micro manufacturing industry, an micro electric discharge milling spindle has been designed. This design uses a standard industrial collet, is capable of loading a large variety of electrode sizes and shapes, and incorporates optimal dielectric flushing. The spindle design offers injection flushing through the electrode and side flushing for the use of solid electrodes. This spindle design also offers the unique feature of variable flushing pressure. The spindle varies the injection pressure automatically to maintain a constant flow rate of dielectric fluid through the electrode as the electrode becomes shorter. The spindle is also capable of automatically feeding and fixturing the electrode as it wears down. The addition of a C-axis gives the spindle the unique ability to rotationally orient the tool. When the C-axis ability of the spindle is used in conjunction with wire electric discharge grinding, the machine is given the ability to produce a large variety of electrode shapes with extremely high aspect ratios and small features. This spindle design offers an economical versatile and compact solution to micro-electric discharge milling and can be easily placed into a CNC machine platform for accurate creation of complex features. The electrode fixturing range, variable dielectric pressure, and C-axis capabilities of this design are unique to this design and are not offered on the current market. |
