Page 5 - Spring 2024

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TECHTIPS

O
ONE MORE STEP FOR CERTIFIED NE MORE STEP FOR CERTIFIED
A Note of Caution
PROCESS OPERATIONS
PROCESS OPERATIONS
It is quite common for a wire manufacturer, or a sales-
person representing that manufacturer, to recommend
altering settings that affect spark energy: typically on
If you are running a certifi ed process, as you know, you
time and peak current. While altering these settings
will undoubtedly improve cutting speed, if you change
or settings, without the approval from your customer,
spark energy, you do it at the risk of changing fi nish, size,
even though you did not change settings affecting spark
surface integrity or skims that will not clean up. cannot make any changes to the process, including wires
energy. This will likely involve laboratory testing of test
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coupons for surface fi nish, surface integrity, surface
contamination and possibly other characteristics such as
COMPAREARE
COMP
fatigue life.
Once the testing is complete, you can now compare
the total performance of the new and your current wire
CONCLUSION
looking at:
• Cutting speed
• Threading reliability
signifi cant opportunity for your shop to improve its Wire
• Cleanliness
EDM performance and effi ciency. However, it is only
• Power feed wear per inch of cut The plethora of wires on the market my well offer a
after doing the due diligence outlined above can you be
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• Relative costs (Stay tuned for a future article on
certain the benefi ts match the claims.
wire cost analysis. Hint: Equating performance

Roger Kern
increase percentage with cost increase percentage

is incorrect.)
Principal Consultant
International Technology
If the new wire offers signifi cant performance gains
Professionals, LLC
without any negative side effects, congratulate yourself
www.itp4edm.com
for improving the performance of your shop.
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