# Full 5 axes routing. 3 D ?



## EDM_Fixer (Apr 24, 2009)

I have a 5 axes EDM that I am going to do something with in the next few days.


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## EDM_Fixer (Apr 24, 2009)

It is full 5 axes. UVXYZ. I was thinkin. Take all the wire guide assy. off. Add abracket to mount a router head for all xyz moves then rerun the programs with the spindle turned 90 deg. . This machine will run the XYZ EZ. But do yall think the UV would take it to the 3rd? The machine is very high tollerence. It will hold .00002". So Im thinkin this thing will sculpt?

Anyone? Thanks Jim


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## EDM_Fixer (Apr 24, 2009)

So you know. The place for the UV axes is to tilt the the wire in the Z axes. Which creates angles to the XY. 
holding .00002". 
Im gonna figure something out. Or junk it!
Have fun Jim


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## EDM_Fixer (Apr 24, 2009)

to explain. This machine will cut a circle at the top while cuttting a square in the bottom of the same part that is 10" thick. It is fully 5 axes.
I think it will work. .....Ok you brains. I think it is all there except the Z negitive cuts. 
Ok so shoot it down?

I see chips.. lol Jim Have fun,


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Hurry and get ten posts in so that you can post some photographs and an explanation of just what the machine was designed for, 0.00002" is a VERY close tolerance, probably closer than required for printed circuit board design.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

HI

WOW .0.00002" anything can be done now days but making the control room/box will be the challenge ,if you breath/blow on it ,out of torrence ..if it's not in a control room.

======


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## kolias (Dec 26, 2008)

.0.00002" ??? I think there are too many zeros here


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## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

kolias said:


> .0.00002" ??? I think there are too many zeros here


Yes. That is 20 millionths. Hardly woodworking machinery. We require much greater tolerances.


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## EDM_Fixer (Apr 24, 2009)

No the #s are right. Its an EDM machine.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Pray what is an EDM machine and what is it used for?


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## davidbarr (Apr 28, 2009)

An EDM is a machine that uses a brass wire to cut metal. it create an electrical arc that cuts metal. it is used to make dies. Usually after they have already been hardened.


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## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

*Edm*



harrysin said:


> Pray what is an EDM machine and what is it used for?


Harry, EDM = Electrical Discharge Machining. Like David says, it is brass wire (about .020") run off a spool, down thru a set of upper and lower guides (kinda like a bandsaw) with voltage running thru the wire. Water is fed on the wire where it starts into the metal. If you are wire burning out a section of solid steel, you have a starter hole drilled thru the metal. You feed the wire down thru the upper gide, down thru the hole, then into the lower guide. The wire is then drawn thru the piece and runs into a waste container. Once the wire is used, it is scarp not to be used again. The newer machines are computer controled. The older machines ran off of tape. The upper giude and lower guide move independently of each other. Therefore, the square on one end and a circle on the other. It is an amasing machine. I have a sample where it has a number one on one end and a number two on the other.:yes4:


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Thanks for those explanations but can such a machine really get anywhere close to 0.00002"?


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## davidbarr (Apr 28, 2009)

Higher end machines may. We have a cmm at work. It is a special cnc that uses a probe to inspect parts. When the guy was there calibrating it I asked him how accurate they were he told me they would check consistantly to 0.0002". They are the most accurate way to measure I have seen. So if the machine could hold that tollerance which I'm not sayin it can't. I wonder how you you could check it?


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

I wouldn't have thought that a spark erosion cutter was capable of producing a smooth surface any more than a laser cutter can (can not)!


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

.0002?? Thats' about the thickness of a cell in a tree!! I was trying to decide the other day if it was 1/32" or 1/64" that I was cutting!! I guess I will have to join the micron caliper stuff. Just give me some time, and I will have one of those digital calipers "thingies" so I can get down to at least 0.002, lets see how much do I allow for the glue?


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Jerry, the gentleman claimed 0.00002", that's FOUR zeros. I have a dial gauge with 2 micron divisions which I used when replacing video head discs in Sony and Toshiba Beta VCR's, regrettably I haven't found a use for it since Beta machines went the way of the Dodo!


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## davidbarr (Apr 28, 2009)

I know that this is a woodworking forum. But just to give you an idea what an EDM does. This is a car I made for my boy in Vo Tech.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Thanks for that David, could you post an edge shot, also couldn't that sort of item be made as well by laser or high pressure water? I'm just curious, that's how I learn!


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## davidbarr (Apr 28, 2009)

This is the best pic that i could get. the metal is pretty thin. Only 0.070" thats 1.778 mm to you Aussies. You are right about the laser and the water jet. They would do just as good a job and do it a lot faster. This took me a few hours to make on the EDM while it would have only took me a few minutes on the other machines. We had a EDM at school it was free to use, I was bored. It would not be very cost effective to make. An example on how to use it proper. We were building a die at work. The die required that a large block had to be machined with a large portion of its middle removed along with most of one outer edge. If we were to machine it then harden it the heat would cause the piece to warp. So we machined as much we could, heat treated it, and had the EDM remove the rest. The EDM was the best choice for that operation for two reasons. 1. the block was pretty thick, close to 2" or 50.8mm thick. (we have a laser at work and at that thickness the EDM produces a much better finnish) 2. You get absolutley no heat transfer with an EDM.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

I'm indebted to you David for that information, if only I was 20 or more years younger, with the knowledge I had then plus what I've learnt since plus what I'm learning on the forum, I'd be close to genius standard!


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## EDM_Fixer (Apr 24, 2009)

Here is a program I wrote for fun. Jim


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Where?


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## levon (Sep 14, 2008)

hi Harry,

its invisible! that's the beauty of it! hahahahahaha


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## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

Harry, you have to have a "Capitan Video" decoder ring to see it.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

May I borrow yours Dave?


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## Noob (Apr 18, 2009)

EDM_Fixer said:


> Here is a program I wrote for fun. Jim


There must have been something wrong with the img tag, but that picture is huge so here is a link to it instead:

Fish on a quarter LINK

If you think about how small it is, that's pretty cool. We had some vacuum-form dies made and we took a tour of this shop that had several EDMs. I use Solidworks 8 hours a day for a living and what I liked was there machines could take Solidworks 3D models and make parts from it.


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## levon (Sep 14, 2008)

Dr.Zook said:


> Harry, you have to have a "Capitan Video" decoder ring to see it.


 
hi Dave,

will a decoder ring from a box of cracker jacks work or is it a different program?


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

That's pretty cute Paulo.


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## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

levon said:


> hi Dave,
> 
> will a decoder ring from a box of cracker jacks work or is it a different program?


Levon, the "Capitan Video" decoder has three settings, which can be used to decode "Cracker Jacks" codes, but not the other way round. Sorry.:cray:


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## Noob (Apr 18, 2009)

harrysin said:


> That's pretty cute Paulo.


That's not mine, it is EDM_Fixer's picture he tried to post, but it didn't work for him. That's why nobody knew what he meant when he wrote this:


EDM_Fixer said:


> Here is a program I wrote for fun. Jim


Go to his post (#22) and hit "Reply with Quote" and you will see his


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## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

*Pictures for Harry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*

Harry, a follow up on the wire EDM. I found some pieces that we burned as demos for the EDM. One piece is ¾"x1"x1½" and the other one is ¾"x1"x2½" (19.05x25.4x38.1 mm & 19.05x25.4x63.5 mm for down unders.) The pictures show a number one burnt on one end and a number 2 burnt on the other. All this is taking place at the same time. The top and lower guides are moving independently of each other. I think the two was being burnt on the top side while the botton was saying, I'm going to burn a one. The outline of the state of Ohio was burnt out of hardened steel, about two inch square an ⅛" thick. All this goes back to Jims post #4. Cutting a square on top and a circle on the bottom. The piece with the #1&2 are made out of Aluminium, and no, I don't remember how long it took to burn them. My guess wood be about 4 hours.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

That is so clever Dave and the finish looks quite smooth. One of these days I hope to find a place that does this type of work and when I do I shall not be too shy to go in and ask to watch a machine in action.


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