Pàver incorporates a new die sinking EDM machine (September 2010)

Pàver incorporates a new die sinking EDM machine produced by CHARMILLES®.
Electric Discharge Machining (EDM) is a machining process that uses a series of electric discharges (sparks) to erode material from a workpiece.
There are two types of EDM: wire-cutting and die-sinking. EDM is a key technology in the manufacture of high-performance press tools and moulds as well for the series production of metal, plastic and glass parts, and for the direct machining of complex precision components. 

The electronic Numeric Control of the movements of its axes allows EDM machines to achieve complex geometries with high precision. Moreover, EDM allows the machining of metallic parts with high hardness, which could not be machined using other technologies.

EDM die sinking reproduces, in a metallic workpiece, the shape of a tool called electrode. Injection dies for plastic parts are very frequently machined by die sinking. The shape given to the electrode is that of the object that is going to be stamped or moulded. In the machining area, each discharge creates a small crater in the workpiece (material removal) and an impact on the tool (wear of the tool / electrode). There is never mechanical contact between the electrode and the workpiece. The electrodes are usually made of copper or graphite.

The main features of the new die-sinking EDM machine introduced in Pàver, manufactured by CHARMILLES TECHNOLOGIES, are the following:
• Working bench of 800 x 500 mm • X, Y & Z axes courses of 500 x 400 x 260 mm
• Motor driven electrode tower course of 300 mm • Maximum workpiece weight 1.500 kg
• Electronic programming and control of work strategies and penetration depths

This machine, along with the 1.600 kN mechanical press incorporated in July, it represents a total investment of 356,000 €.