There has always been talk in the mold industry that high-speed milling will replace EDM. In fact, these two technologies have their own advantages and disadvantages, and you should choose the appropriate equipment according to your own processing needs.
1. Can the development of high-speed milling replace EDM?
It can be said that electrical discharge machining and high-speed milling are the two main strengths of mold forming processing technology, and they each have their own merits. With the rapid development of high-speed milling technology, can its development trend replace EDM?
Objectively speaking, high-speed milling technology is not omnipotent. It was born from complementing the weaknesses of traditional milling and EDM processes. Its mature development has gradually expanded its application areas. However, due to the characteristics of the milling method itself, it has restrictions. cannot replace EDM in mold processing.
2. Advantages and applications of EDM
In summary, the advantages of EDM are mainly reflected in the processing of deep grooves and narrow gaps, the processing of internal clear corners, the processing of clear edges, the processing of fine, complex, precise and deep cavities, as well as processing ultra-hard materials, these are the shortcomings of high-speed milling processing capabilities. It can be seen that in the manufacturing of precision molds with fine and complex shapes, EDM has an absolute advantage.
With the rapid development of high-speed milling technology, the demand for EDM machining for coarse and medium machining types has been greatly reduced. However, in the face of challenges, EDM machining incorporates advanced CNC technology. various process indicators to achieve high levels, it can obtain micro-cavities with highly precise edges and corners, and can achieve mirror processing effects with Ra values below 0.1 micron. In addition, technologies such as CNC EDM milling and large-area finishing EDM with powder mixing have also expanded the application scope of EDM.
For processing small precision cavities, narrow slots, grooves and corners, EDM should be the first choice. For processing parts with complex shapes, especially when it is difficult for the tool to reach the complex surface, EDM has its importance. It is indeed necessary to avoid the application of high-speed milling; For high-tech workpiece processing, the machining electrode programming time is generally shorter than the workpiece high-speed milling time in more complex processing applications. , this difference becomes more obvious; in the regulations. When an EDM finish is required, EDM is used to provide a spark-marked surface.
It is worth mentioning that there are many processing situations that can be processed by high-speed milling from theoretical analysis. But in reality, due to the high cost of micro tools and the risks of milling high-hardness steel parts, it is easier for EDM to achieve the desired results.
3. Advantages and applications of high speed milling
High-speed milling uses small diameter cutters, high speeds and small cycle feeds, which greatly improves production efficiency and processing precision. At the same time, due to low milling force, reduced thermal deformation of the workpiece and smaller milling depth. and faster feeds, the processing of surface roughness is very low.
High-speed milling is suitable for processing most molds. In mold processing, high-speed milling can process 60HRC hardened steel parts. Therefore, high-speed milling enables cutting after heat treatment, greatly simplifying the mold manufacturing process. The traditional processing procedures are: shape rough machining → cavity rough milling → heat treatment → shape finishing → cavity EDM machining → cavity grinding and polishing by fitters → surface strengthening treatment. The process after high-speed machining is as follows: shape rough machining → heat treatment → shape finishing → high-speed cavity milling → surface strengthening treatment, which can save electric machining (relatively speaking), manual grinding and other processes, shorten the process route and thus significantly improve the processing productivity.
In general, high speed milling should be used as an alternative to EDM for large volumes removed. When the tool is easily accessible to the workpiece, the shape of the workpiece is open, and the aspect ratio is small, high-speed milling is suitable.
In fact, high-speed milling is very suitable for electrode manufacturing. The electrodes of traditional milling need to be polished manually and the consistency is poor, which will affect the quality of EDM. High-speed electrode milling requires virtually no manual polishing, and electrode roughing and finishing can achieve near-perfect consistency. At the same time, high-speed milling can process thin-walled and more complex-shaped electrodes.
However, no matter how high-speed milling develops, due to the limitations of its mechanism, even if five-axis machining with rotating tools is used, it is still unable to process free-angle shapes. For deep cavities and narrow grooves, milling is still impossible. The effect is not ideal due to insufficient tool rigidity.
4. Integrated development of EDM and high-speed milling
Today, with the rapid development of high-speed milling, the development space of EDM has been reduced to a certain extent. At the same time, high-speed milling has also brought greater technological advancements to EDM. For example, high-speed milling is used to make electrodes. By achieving narrow-area processing and high-quality surface results, the number of electrode designs is significantly reduced. In addition, using high-speed milling to manufacture electrodes can also increase production efficiency to a new level and ensure high-precision electrodes, which also improves the precision of EDM. If most of the cavity machining is done by high-speed milling, EDM is only used as an auxiliary means to clean up the corners and trim the edges, so that the remaining quantity is more uniform and more small.
The development of EDM and high-speed milling is harmonious and complementary. The development of high-speed milling technology promotes the development of EDM technology and also gives it new development momentum. There are irreplaceable functions between them, and both should exploit their strengths and avoid their weaknesses. The combination of these two technologies can provide a perfect processing solution for manufacturing very complex and high precision molds.
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