EDM: the EDM machine

01

Aug 22

The EDM machine is a tooling machine, which uses the erosive capabilities of electrical discharges to dig the material.

It uses electrodes to create the object. It was invented by the Soviet couple Lazarenko in 1943, during tests on electrical contacts’ use, while immersing them in an oil bath to decrease their use, they achieved the opposite effect.

For these machining processes, it is necessary to look for a material that:

• resists discharges
• is easily workable
• is affordable (copper and graphite are usually used because they resist discharges)

Since the machine reaches very high temperatures and often processes soft materials, such as graphite, it needs continuous cooling, that’s why it is immersed in a liquid. The tool can work completely immersed.

The machining process is divided into two phases:

• creation of an electrode
• EDM of the workpiece with the previously created electrode

This is how an erosion machine works. In this case, the machine is not big, but it is more demanding.