Since the widespread use of high-speed milling technology, there has been a point that high-speed milling can completely replace EDM. Is this really true? the answer is negative! High-speed milling and EDM technologies have their own characteristics, and the two cannot completely replace each other. This article will provide an in-depth analysis of the advantages and applications of high-speed milling and EDM, and how they can be better integrated.
Advantages of EDM
EDM is good at machining small precision cavities, narrow slits, grooves, corners, etc. In addition, for complex shapes, deep cutting parts, high-tech parts, etc., EDM can also play an irreplaceable role. . It can be seen that EDM has a clear advantage in the manufacture of precision molds with subtle and complex shapes. For example, for deep groove narrow slit machining, inner clearance angle machining, sharp edge machining, deep cavity machining, etc. For these fine, complex and precise shape machining, EDM should be the preferred machining process. In addition, this method is also suitable for the processing of superhard materials.
In practice, although some machining can use high-speed milling, but the fine tools used are costly, and there are certain risks in milling high-hardness steel. In general, it is more secure and economical to use EDM.
Advantages of high speed milling
High-speed milling is a process that uses a smaller diameter milling cutter to feed at a high speed and a small cycle to improve machining efficiency and machining accuracy. Since the high-speed milling depth is small and the feed is fast, the resulting milling force is low, and the workpiece is not easily thermally deformed, so the surface roughness is good.
The high-speed milling process is suitable for most workpiece processing, and the maximum processing hardness can reach 60HRC, thus allowing the workpiece to be milled after heat treatment, and the EDM and manual grinding processes in the traditional processing can be omitted, and the process route can be shortened, which can increase processing productivity.
EDM and high speed milling applications
Understand the advantages of the two processing methods, you can know the scope of application of the two, for a large number of processing should try to use high-speed milling, and for the shape of the clear angle, deep cavity narrow groove and other fine shapes are more suitable for EDM. With the continuous development of high-speed milling technology, in some non-precision machining fields, part of the demand for EDM is taken away. However, from the beginning to the end, high-speed milling is plagued by problems such as its mechanism limitation and insufficient rigidity of the tool. Even the 5-axis CNC machine using rotary tools has certain disadvantages in fine structure processing.
EDM and high speed milling integration
Faced with the challenges of high-speed milling technology, EDM is also constantly improving itself. On the one hand, it incorporates advanced numerical control technology, which enables all process indicators to reach higher standards and further improve machining accuracy. On the other hand, it also draws on and takes advantage of some of the advantages of competitors. For example, high-speed milling technology is suitable for electrode processing, high-quality and high-precision electrode surfaces can be obtained in a small area, and the precision of EDM can be greatly improved by using high-speed milling electrodes; or a workpiece can be removed most of the machining allowance by high-speed milling, and then using EDM to clean corners and trimming.
EDM and high-speed milling are not the one-or-one relationship. Both sides have their own strengths and can be mutually integrated and complement each other. The development of high-speed milling technology has promoted the development of EDM technology and provided new development momentum.
