Spark Gap
Correction Rate
> 1000 / sec
Ultra-Precision Oil Wire-Cut EDMs
Hundreds of AP wire EDMs in Swiss Industry
Sodick brand Wire-Cut EDMs (Electro Discharge Machines) with flat (planar) linear motors (LM).
Particularly precise cutting in oil dielectric.
The oil wire-cut EDM is specially designed for the needs of the watchmaking industry, microelectronics, micro-optics, and other applications where the highest precision is required for small geometric dimensions of parts.
Large-size AP oil wire EDM models are widely used where extreme precision and high surface quality requirements are needed.
AP250L wire EDMs at Inhotec SA company
in Le Locle, Switzerland.
Hundreds AP wire-cut EDMs operate in Switzerland in Swiss watch, micro-optics and micro-electronics industry.
More than 10 oil wire-cut electrical discharge machines AP250L are imported to Switzerland every year.
OIL is an indispensable medium for EDM cutting of small-sized precision tools and parts.
Oil is a delicate and friendly environment for electrical discharge (electroerosion) metal processing. In oil, there is a complete absence of electrolytic erosion and corrosion, decarburization, and during the processing of hard alloys – cobalt depletion
Wire-Cut EDM Dielectric Comparison:
Water
Wire-Cut
EDMing
Oil
Wire-Cut
EDMing
- The inter-electrode gap in WATER is always larger.
With the same diameter wire, the cut in water is wider than in oil > 10 – 20 micron.
Cutting contours with small geometric elements
using a wire < Ø 0.05 mm in water
is a technological profanation! - High achievable cutting speed. Cutting in water is ideal for larger and thicker parts, as well as for large-size parts. Water was generally adopted as the dielectric to improve productivity.
- EDMing in water always presents a danger (if special measures are not taken) of corrosion, electrolytic erosion, decarburization, and when processing hard alloys — cobalt depletion. During processing in water, the part must be immediately removed from the bath to avoid negative consequences.
- Operational costs in water EDM machines are higher than in machines with oil dielectric.
- The inter-electrode gap in OIL is always smaller.
With the same diameter wire, the cut in oil is narrower than in water. In oil, cutting with a gap width of only 4 – 5 micron is possible.
If a narrow cut is necessary,
EDM cutting in oil has no alternatives!
Water
Wire-Cut
EDMing
Water vs Oil Wire-EDM operational costs
Prices in Japan in US Dollars
Oil
Wire-Cut
EDMing
AP250L Oil Wire-EDM (CE / Non-CE)
XYZ axes travel – 250 × 150 × 120 mm
AP350L Oil Wire-EDM (Non-CE)
XYZ axes travel – 350 × 350 × 120 mm
AP450L Oil Wire-EDM (Non-CE)
XYZ axes travel – 450 × 300 × 120 mm
AP650L Oil Wire-EDM (Non-CE)
XYZ axes travel – 450 × 450 × 120 mm
AP Wire-EDM Machine-Tool Construction:
Thermally Stable Machine Construction with a Symmetrical Gantry Design
The New "SPW” Controller for Wire-Cut EDMs
The new generation electrical discharge technology “SPW” has adopted the “Perfect Active Control,” enabling simultaneous control of high-speed electrical discharge and axis-movements by using serial communication technology of 1Gbit/sec. The oil machine features Eco Cut O, which allows oil dielectric to realize a same cutting speed as water dielectric to achieve the surface finish of less than 0.15 μmRa.
Improved Operability
The machine features 3-sided automatic tank door and a worktable with 3 frames to realize the user friendly operations. The optimum layout of a valve unit and a controller allows an operator to handle every work at the same place.
Oil WireCut EDM with symmetrical gantry structure and modified flat linear servo drives
Ultra-high construction and machining precision of AP Wire-Cut EDMs is achieved through a combination of modified linear servo drives and a new gantry design. The characteristic absence of backlash and dead zones inherent to flat-parallel (planar) linear motors (LM) is complemented by virtually zero deformation of the machine structure of the these wire EDMs during movements. A new cooling thermostat for the dielectric and a function for adjusting horizontality ensure cutting stability from the very moment the Wire-Cut EDM is turned on.
- X Y U V axis FLAT Linear Motors
- X Y U V axis absolute linear scales 5 nano (0,005 micron) Heidenhain.
- Cross roller guides
To complement the linear motor drive performance, cross roller guides are employed on AP wire EDM.
Advantages of cross roller guides:
- Excellent weight bearing capability
- Minimal drag effect
- Pre-tensioned = Zero lost motion
- Ceramic Work-Zone. Improvement in geometric accuracy by 3-4 times in comparison with metal-plastic working areas of non-Sodick EDMs.
Sodick ceramics thermal expansion is merely
4.5×10-6/°С (3-4 times less than steel).
Complete galvanic (electric) isolation of the Work-zone. - Hand scraped contacting bearing surfaces of meehanite cast iron parts
- All bearing construction parts of low thermal expansion meehanite cast iron (11×10-6/°С)
- Extra wide machine bed – superb horizontality at the extremes of travels
Ra=0.006 µm /// ≈ Rz=0.05 µm
Cutting tungsten carbide (t=5 mm) in oil:
the resulting roughness is 0.05 μmRa;
total cutting time of 2 parts = 31 h 6 min!
(wire ∅ 50 µm.)
Multi-pass Wire-Cut EDM micro-cutting in oil on AP250L EDW.
The specified surface roughness achieved
Ra=0.006 µm.
- material = cemented carbide
- workpiece thickness = 15 mm
- wire-electrode = ∅ 0.1 mm
Ultra-thin cut after cutting in oil dielectric.
The width unattainable on water-based EDMs.
Options
- 0.03 mm wire AWT (factory option)
- Jumbo Wire Feeder (wire reels up to 50 kg)
- Digital oscilloscope
- Automation System: workpiece changer
- 6/8 axis simultaneous control (simultaneous control using auxiliary rotary 1/2 axes tables – factory option)
- Thermally stable machine construction
- Energy saving systems (up to 60%)
- High-speed AWT (wire auto-threading) mechanism with annealing, straightening and wire end drawing. Auto-threading is possible directly in the submerged state. Dielectric level is automatically set based on the Z-axis position
- SuperPika O (fine mirror surface finishing system)
- Tension servo: Advanced system of servo-tension of the wire-electrode with intermediate sensors
- Eco-Cut O (realisation of the same cutting speed in oil dielectric as in water dielectric to achieve the surface finish of better than 0.15 μmRa – cutting speed in oil up to 25% faster – new Sodick technology)
- Sodick Fine Corner Control – Precise control when cutting in corners
- 3D CAD/CAM (Intelligent Q3Vic-EDW);
- 3-sided automatic tank door
- Remote controller
- Corner control
- Energy saving circuit
- Dielectric cooling unit
- Fixed Jet AWT (Automatic Wire Threader)
- FT II (Fine Pick-up Function)
- Voltage stabilizer
- Active Power Restart (UPS)
- Eco-Cut O
- Thermally stable machine construction
- SPW Power supply
- 3-sided automatic tank door
- Worktable with 3 frames
- 1Gbit/sec communication technology
- LAN interface
- USB port
- 15″ TFT screen
- Work light
Oil EDW | AP250L |
| XY axis travel | 250 × 150 mm |
| Z axis travel | 120 mm |
| UV axis travel | 35 × 35 mm |
| Taper angle (t=100mm) | ±7° / 100 mm |
| Max. workpiece size (WxDxH) | 400 x 270 x 100 mm |
| Max workpiece weight | 80 kg |
| Wire electrode diameter ∅ | ∅ 0.05 ~ 0.2 mm with AWT (∅ 0.03 mm with AWT = option) |
| Wire tension | 3 ~ 18 H |
| Wire feed rate | 250 mm/sec |
| Distance from floor to table top | 1080 mm |
| Machine dimensions (W x D x H) | 1875 x 2690 x 2105 mm (incl. power supply, dielectric tank, and wire bucket) |
| Machine installation dimensions (mm): | 3350 × 3865 mm |
| Machine-tool weight (kg): | 3730 kg |
| Input power | 3-∅, 50/60 Hz, 10 kVA |
| Dielectric Tank | |
| External dimensions (W x D x H) | 1050 × 1310 × 1600 mm |
| Capacity (liters) | 375 liter |
| Dielectric fluid | OIL |
| Filtering system | replaceable paper filters MF-2400 |
| Oil EDW | AP350L |
| XY axis travel | 350 x 350 mm |
| Z axis travel | 120 mm |
| UV axis travel | 35 × 35 mm |
| Taper angle (t=130mm) | ±7° / 100 mm |
| Max. workpiece size (WxDxH) | 540 x 500 x 100 mm |
| Max workpiece weight | 100 kg |
| Wire electrode diameter ∅ | ∅ 0.05 ~ 0.2 mm with AWT (∅ 0.03 mm with AWT = option) |
| Wire tension | 3 ~ 25 H |
| Wire feed rate | 250 mm/sec |
| Distance from floor to table top | 1084 mm |
| Machine dimensions (W x D x H) | 1985 x 2095 x 2160 mm the machine tool only) |
| Machine installation dimensions (mm): | 3705 x 3515 mm |
| Machine weight (kg): | 4650 kg |
| Input power | 3-∅, 50/60 Hz, 13 kVA |
| Dielectric Tank | |
| External dimensions (W x D x H) | |
| Capacity (liters) | |
| Dielectric fluid | OIL |
| Filtering system | replaceable paper filters MF-2400 |
Oil EDW | AP450L |
| XY axis travel | 450 × 300 mm |
| Z axis travel | 120 mm |
| UV axis travel | 35 × 35 mm |
| Taper angle (t=100mm) | ±7° / 100 mm |
| Max. workpiece size (WxDxH) | 600 x 400 x 100 mm |
| Max workpiece weight | 100 kg |
| Wire electrode diameter ∅ | ∅ 0.05 ~ 0.26 mm with AWT |
| Wire tension | 3 ~ 25 H |
| Wire feed rate | 250 mm/sec |
| Distance from floor to table top | 1084 mm |
| Machine dimensions (W x D x H) | 2185 x 2015 x 2160 mm (the machine tool only) |
| Machine installation dimensions (mm): | 3800 × 3450 mm |
| Machine-tool weight (kg): | 6300 kg |
| Input power | 3-∅, 50/60 Hz, 10 kVA |
| Dielectric Tank | |
| External dimensions (W x D x H) | |
| Capacity (liters) | |
| Dielectric fluid | OIL |
| Filtering system | replaceable paper filters MF-2400 |
Oil EDW | AP650L |
| XY axis travel | 650 x 450 mm |
| Z axis travel | 120 mm |
| UV axis travel | 35 × 35 mm |
| Taper angle (t=130mm) | ±7° / 100 mm |
| Max. workpiece size (WxDxH) | 820 x 590 x 100 mm |
| Max workpiece weight | 200 kg |
| Wire electrode diameter ∅ | ∅ 0.05 ~ 0.3 mm with AWT |
| Wire tension | 3 ~ 25 H |
| Wire feed rate | 250 mm/sec |
| Distance from floor to table top | 1100 mm |
| Machine dimensions (W x D x H) | 2470 x 1990 x 2175 mm (the machine tool only) |
| Machine installation dimensions (mm): | 4000 x 3630 mm |
| Machine weight (kg): | 6300 kg |
| Input power | 3-∅, 50/60 Hz, 13 kVA |
| Dielectric Tank | |
| External dimensions (W x D x H) | |
| Capacity (liters) | |
| Dielectric fluid | OIL |
| Filtering system | replaceable paper filters MF-2400 |
Sodick EDM service and maintanence
Innovation-Technical Centers "SodicoM"
ЛІНКИ/ LINKS
Eco Cut O:
Eco Cut O: The Revolution
Oil Cutting Speed =
= Water Cutting Speed
Sodick’s latest innovation ECO Cut O makes it possible for Oil Dielectric to realize the same cutting speeds as Water Dielectric in achieving a surface finish of 0.15µmRa and beyond.
Oil Cutting Technology Since 1981
Sodick has developed the cutting technology in oil dielectric since 1981. Wire EDM with Oil dielectric has always been the best solution for high-accuracy and high quality surface finish because of the smaller discharge (spark) gap. On the other hand, the smaller gap always had resulted in slower cutting speed. Thanks to Sodick’s know-how and experience through years, Sodick has now developed a new generator “ECO Cut O”. ECO Cut O realizes further improvement on cutting speed and number of cuts with oil dielectric. To achieve the surface finish of less than 0.15µmRa, it requires the same cutting time as water dielectric.
EDM is a machining method of removing material by discharge heat, by which its surface is melted and vaporized. When Tungsten Carbide (WC) materials are processed in water dielectric, the cobalt, the bonding material, is depleted. This results in lowering the hardness of the material surface. On the other hand, cobalt depletion is eliminated in oil dielectric. Thanks to the recast layer, its surface is hardened and increases the life of the tool. Furthermore, another advantage of oil dielectric is rust protection of the workpiece. It can also reduce the consumption of filters because of smaller spark gap and therefore removed material.