5

69

Understanding the Wire

EDM Process
Accuracy and Tolerances
Wire EDM is extremely accurate. Many machines move in increments of 40
millionths of an inch (.00004") (.001 mm), some in 10 millionths of an inch (.00001")
(.00025 mm), and others even in 4 millionths of an inch (.000004) (.0001 mm).
Machines can achieve accuracies of +/-.0001 (.0025 mm); however, skim cuts
need to be made to obtain such tolerances. See Figure 5:1.

Figure 5:1

Courtesy Agie

Precision Wire EDMing

Finishes
Extremely fine finishes of below 15 RMS can be produced with wire EDM.
(Some machines can produce even a mirror finish.) Wire EDM produces an
excellent finish even in the so-called rough cut. Customers are often amazed
when shown the fine finish of a single-pass cut.
This fine finish is present even after very large parts are cut, as in Figure 5:2.
In other cutting operations, such as lasers and abrasive water jet, the larger the
part, the rougher the finish. Wire EDM produces a smooth finish because the wire
electrode goes through the entire part, and spark erosion occurs along the entire
wire electrode.

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Figure 5:2
Showpiece: 16 Inches (406 mm) TallCut at Reliable EDM
(They can cut up to 36" ( 914 mm) tall)

Wire Path
A. Wire Kerf
The wire never contacts the workpiece. If the wire would contact the workpiece,
there would be a short circuit and no cutting would occur. The wire electrode cuts
by means of spark erosion, thereby leaving a path slightly larger than the wire. A
commonly used wire, .012 (.30 mm), usually creates a .016 (.41 mm) kerf as
shown in Figure 5:3. Thinner wires have smaller kerfs.

.016" (.41 mm)

kerf

.012 (.30 mm) Diameter Wire

Figure 5:3
Wire Kerf

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B. Corners and Radii

When the wire turns a corner it can produce a sharp edge on the outside corner,
but it will always leave a small radius on the inside corner as demonstrated in
Figure 5:4. The size of this radius is determined by the wire diameter plus the spark
gap.
To produce very sharp outside corners, skim cuts are made. Having small corner
radii on the outside corners can prevent the need for skim cuts; this also reduces
wire EDM costs. In stamping dies, sharp corners usually wear first, so a small
outside radius is preferable.
The minimum inside radius for .012 (.30 mm) wire is .0063 (.016 mm), and
the minimum radius for .010 wire (.25 mm) is .0053 (.13 mm). These small radii
are achieved by skimming. Smaller radii are possible with thinner wire; however,
most work is done with thicker wires because thinner wire cuts slower.

Radius .0063

.012 Wire
Corner can be sharp

Figure 5:4
Inside and Outside Corners

Skim Cutting
For most jobs, the initial cut is sufficient for both finish and accuracy. However,
for precision parts, skim cuts achieve greater accuracy and a finer finish. There are
three main reasons for skim cuts:
Barreling effect and wire trail-off
Metal movement
Finishes and accuracy

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A. Barreling Effect and Wire Trail-Off

There is a .002 to .003 (.050-.076 mm) gap between the wire and the workpiece.
(Gap is determined by the intensity of the spark energy.) In this gap, a controlled
localized eruption takes place. The force of the spark and the gases trying to escape
causes a slight barreling. On thick workpieces, this barreling causes the center to be
slightly hollow. See Figure 5:5.
Direction of Travel

Actual Cut
Slight hollow on first cut

Figure 5:5
First Cut Corner Conditions

When cutting sharp corners, the wire dwells longer by the inside radius,
causing a slight overcut; on the outside radius, it speeds, leaving a slight undercut
as illustrated in Figure 5:6. That is why most new machines have a slow down
program for corner cutting. To achieve maximum corner profiles; however, skim
cutting is recommended.
Direction of Travel
.016"
Slight overcut
because wire
dwells longer
Slight undercut
because wire goes
faster around corner

Figure 5:6
Skim Cutting is Used For Very Close Tolerances.

A trail-off is produced when the machine cuts a corner. A slight amount of

material is left behind for a short distance before the wire returns to its programmed
path. For most jobs this slight undercut is negligible.

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73

The sharper the corner, the greater the overcut and undercut. The accuracy of
the part determines the need for skim cutting. To avoid most of this barreling effect
and wire trail-off, some wire EDM machines automatically slow down in corner
cutting. Nevertheless, high precision parts still require skim cuts.
B. Metal Movement
Even though metal has been stress relieved, it may move after the part has
been cut with wire EDM because the stresses within the metal were not totally
removed in stress relieving. If metal has moved due to inherent stresses, and
the part requires to be precise, then skim cuts are needed to bring the part into
tolerance. The accuracies called for by the print determine the number of skim
cuts.
C. Finishes and Accuracy
First cuts produce a fine finish; however, sometimes a finer finish and greater
accuracies are required. To accomplish this, skim cuts are used. See Figure 5:7 for
a general view of the various finishes that can be produced with wire EDM. (Some
machines produce different results.)
RMS
Finish
A
60

.0008-.0014 Accuracy
(depending on thickness
of material)

45

30

.0004 Accuracy

15

.0002 Accuracy

High Speed
Cut

1st
Skim

2nd
Skim

3rd
Skim

4th
Skim

Figure 5:7
Approximate Accuracies and Finishes
Cut AFor most jobs, this finish and accuracy are more than adequate.
Cuts B-EDepending on accuracy and finish
required, various skim cuts are performed.

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Skim cutting produces fine finishes because less energy is applied to the wire
which creates smaller sparks and thus smaller cavities. These small sparks produce
extremely fine finishes, and on some machines mirror finishes.

Carbide
Tungsten carbide, third in hardness to diamond and boron carbide, is an
extremely difficult material to machine. Except for diamond cutting tools and
diamond impregnated grinding wheels, EDM presents the only practical method to
machine this hardened material.
To bind tungsten carbide when it is sintered, cobalt is added. The amount of
cobalt, from 6 to 15 percent, determines the hardness and toughness of the carbide.
The electrical conductivity of cobalt exceeds that of tungsten, so EDM erodes the
cobalt binder in tungsten carbide. The carbide granules fall out of the compound
during cutting, so the amount of cobalt binder determines the wire EDM speed,
and the energy applied during the cutting determines the depth of binder that is
removed.
When cutting carbide on certain wire EDM machines, the initial first cut can
cause surface micro-cracks. To eliminate them, skim cuts are used. However, at our
company, Reliable EDM, we have repeatedly cut carbide parts with a single cut.
When precision carbide parts are needed, then skim cuts are used.
Some older wire EDM machines used capacitors. Since these machines applied
more energy into the cut, there was a greater danger for surface micro-cracking.
Then DC power supply machines without capacitors were introduced, and this
helped in producing less surface damage when cutting carbide.
Today, many machines come equipped with AC power supplies. These machines
are especially beneficial when cutting carbide in that they produce smaller heataffected zones and cause less cobalt depletion than DC power-supplied machines.
To eliminate any danger from micro-cracking and to produce the best surface
edge for stamping, it is a good practice to use sufficient skim cuts when EDMing
high-precision blanking carbide dies. Studies show that careful skimming greatly
improves carbide surface quality. Durability tests prove that an initial fast cut and
fast skimming cuts produce very accurate high-performance dies.

Polycrystalline Diamond
The introduction of polycrystalline diamond (PCD) on a tungsten carbide
substrate has greatly increased cutting efficiency. PCD is a man-made diamond
crystal that is sintered with cobalt at very high temperatures and under great
pressure. The tungsten substrate provides support for the thin diamond layer.
The cobalt in PCD does not act as a binder, but rather as a catalyst for the

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diamond crystals. In addition, the electrical conductivity of the cobalt allows

PCD to be EDMed. When PCD is EDMed, only the cobalt between the diamond's
crystals is being EDMed.
EDMing PCD, like EDMing carbide, is much slower than cutting steel. Cutting
speed for PCD depends upon the amount of cobalt that has been sintered with the
diamond crystals and the particle size of PCD. Large particles of PCD require very
high open voltage for it to be cut. Also, some power supplies cut PCD better than
others.

Ceramics
Ceramics are poor conductors of electricity. However, certain ceramics are
formulated to be cut with wire EDM.

Flushing
Flushing is an important factor in cutting efficiently with wire EDM. Flushing
pressure is produced from both the top and bottom flushing nozzles. See Figure
5:8. The pressurized deionized fluid aids in spark production and in eroded metalparticle removal.
Pressurized Deionized Fluid

3/16 minimum

Flush support

Pressurized Deionized Fluid

Figure 5:8
Ideal Flushing Conditions

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Sometimes the flushing nozzle may extend beyond the edge of a workpiece, as
shown in Figure 5:9. When this occurs, flushing pressure is lost, and this can cause
wire breakage and part inaccuracy. To avoid wire breakage in such cases, a lower
spark energy is used which slows the machining process. To avoid losing flushing
pressure, it is advisable, if possible, to leave at least 3/16 (5 mm) of material to
support the flushing nozzles.

Lost Flushing Pressure

Figure 5:9
Cutting Speed

Poor Flushing Conditions

Speed is rated by the square inches of material that are cut in one hour.
Manufacturers rate their equipment under ideal conditions, usually 2 1/4 inch (57
mm) thick D2 hardened tool steel under perfect flushing conditions. However,
differences in thicknesses, materials, and required accuracies can greatly alter the
speeds of EDM machines.
Cutting speed varies according to the conductivity and the melting properties
of materials. For example, aluminum, a good conductor with a low melting
temperature, cuts much faster than steel.
On the other hand, carbide cuts much slower than steel. It is the binder, usually
cobalt, that is melted away. When the cobalt is eroded, it causes the carbides to fall
out. Various carbides machine at different speeds because of carbide grain size and
the binder amount and type.

Impurities
Generally, impurities cause little difficulty; however, occasionally materials are
received with non-conductive impurities. The wire electrode will either stall or pass
around small non-conductive impurities, thereby causing possible streaks from
raised or indented surfaces.
When welded parts must be EDMed, one should use caution to make certain
there is no slag within the weld. Tig welding is preferred for wire EDM.

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Recast and Heat-Affected Zones

The EDM process uses heat from electrical sparks to cut the material. The sparks
create a heat-affected zone that contains a thin layer of recast, also called white
layer. The depth of the heat-affected zone and recast depends upon the power, type
of power supply, and the number of skim cuts.
The recast contains a layer of unexpelled molten material. When skim cuts
are used, much less energy is applied to the surface. This greatly reduces and
practically eliminates the recast layer.
On older wire EDM machines, the heat-affected zones and recast were much
more of a problem. Also, the recast and heat-affected zones of ram EDM are much
greater when roughing because more energy can be used than with wire EDM.
Many of todays wire EDM machines have reduced this problem of recast and
heat-affected zones. Our company, Reliable EDM, is a wire EDM job shop that has
done work for well over 500 companies, including aerospace companies. We have
wire EDMed thousands of jobs and cut all sorts of materials, including carbide
and high-alloy steels. We have had practically no negative results from recast and
heat-affected zones. Most work is done with just one cut. For precision parts, skim
cuts are used.
Newer machines now come equipped with anti-electrolysis power supplies, also
called AC power supplies. These power supplies greatly reduce the recast and heataffected zones. On some machines, the heat-affected zone for the first cut is .0015
(038 mm), on the first skim cut it is .0003 (.0076 mm), and on the second skim
cut it is .0001 (.0025 mm).
For years, the recast and heat-affected zones have been a concern for the
aerospace and aircraft industry. With the improvement of power supplies, these
industries increasingly accept work done with wire EDM.

AC Non-Electrolysis Power Supplies

Instead of cutting with DC (direct current), some machines cut with AC
(alternating current). Cutting with AC allows more heat to be absorbed by the wire
instead of the workpiece.
Since AC constantly reverses the polarity of the electrical current, it reduces the
heat-affected zone and eliminates electrolysis. Electrolysis is the stray electrical
current that occurs when cutting with wire EDM. For most purposes, electrolysis
does not have any significant effect on the material. However, the elimination of
electrolysis is particularly beneficial when cutting precision carbide dies in that it
reduces cobalt depletion.
When titanium is cut with a DC power supply, there is a blue color along where
the material was cut. This blue line is not caused by heat, as some suspect, but by

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electrolysis. This effect is not generally detrimental to the material. However, AC

power supplies eliminate this line.
Like AC power supply, the AE (anti-electrolysis) or EF (electrolysis-free) power
supplies improve the surface finish of parts by reducing rust and oxidizing effects
of wire EDM. Also, less cobalt binder depletion occurs when cutting carbide,
and it eliminates the production of blue lines when cutting titanium. AC and
non-electrolysis power supplies definitely have advantages. See Figure 5:10 for
comparison between anti-electrolysis and conventional machining.

Figure 5:10

Courtesy Mitsubishi

Anti-Electrolysis and Conventional Machining Surfaces Compared

Isolated Pitting
When doing mold work, the surface finish of the molds is extremely important.
On certain materials, such as H-13 and S-7, pitting sometimes occurred when the
steel was wire EDMed. However, pitting never occurred when cutting D2 steel. It
was discovered that the chrome content of D2, which is 12%, was much higher than
H-13only 5% chrome, and S-7only 3.25%. However, H-13 and S-7 are very
popular mold steels.
The chrome content answered some of the problems, but not all. Sometimes
when cutting H-13 and S-7 pitting did not occur. The question arose, "Why does
pitting only occur occasionally."
After further testing it was discovered that magnetism was the reason for the
pitting. On some occasions, even after the steel was thoroughly demagnetized,
they found some pitting. Then it was discovered even the rails on the wire EDM
machine, which could have residual magnetism, had an effect. One mold company
found a solution by purchasing an instrument that measured magnetic induction
(Gaussmeter). The company came to the conclusion that residual magnetism was
the basic cause for pitting.

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Heat-Treated Steels
Wire EDM will machine hard or soft steel. Materials requiring hardening
are commonly heat treated before being cut with wire. By heat treating
steel beforehand, it eliminates the distortions that can be created from heattreating.
The decision to heat treat steel before or after is often determined by the
required accuracy needed, or if machining must be done after wire EDMing.

Cutting Large Sections

Steels from mills have inherent stresses. Even hardened steel that has been
tempered often has stresses remaining. For cutting small sections, the effect is
negligible. However, for large sections when there is a danger of metal movement,
it is advisable to remove some of the metal. By removing metal, it helps to reduce
the possibility of metal movement. Workpiece accuracy is the determining factor if
metal needs to be removed. See Figure 5:11.

Leave at least 3/16 of material for EDMing.

Cut out inside section with band saw.

Figure 5:11
Removing Material to Reduce Stresses on Large Parts

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Metal movement can also be reduced by cutting relieving slots with a band
saw to connecting holes, as in Figure 5:12. Steel should be stress relieved before
heat-treating to remove the stresses caused by milling, drilling, and grinding. After
heat-treating, the tool steel should be double or triple drawn, including the nondeforming air hardening tool steels. Another method to remove stresses is to use
cryogenics (deep freeze). The tool steel is hardened and tempered; then it is put into
deep freeze and retempered.

Drilled
Holes

Saw slots

Leave at least 3/16 of material for EDMing.

Figure 5:12
Using Saw Slots to Reduce Stresses on Large Parts

Cutting Sections From a Block

A. Leaving a Frame
When a section must be cut from a block of steel, a frame should be left around
the workpiece to ensure accuracy and to reduce cost. At least 1/4 to 1/2" (6.5 to 13
mm) should be left around the part so that flush nozzles can efficiently remove the
eroded particles and also support the part for clamping. See Figure 5:13.
Leave at least 1/4-1/2 of material
to support frame and flush.

Starter
Hole

Figure 5:13
Support Part With Frame

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B. Strength of Frame
Sufficient extra material needs to be left around the part. When the part is held
in a fixture, the extra material will prevent the part from moving as it is being
EDMed. Figure 5:14 demonstrates a weak support frame. While the part is being
EDMed, the frame becomes weak, which can cause the part to move.

Frame is too weak. As

the part is EDMed the
frame collapses.

Figure 5:14
Improper Support Frame

C. Material for Clamping

For many parts fixtures are used as in the above illustration. However, for some
parts provision should be made for clamping. See Figure 5:15.
Leave 1-1/4
for clamping

Figure 5:15
Extra material provided for clamping

Understanding the Wire EDM Process

The better understanding one gains of the wire EDM process, the more benefits
one can obtain from this process. The next section covers how to reduce wire
EDM costs.