Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: Software for wire EDM control?

I don't see why you couldn't cut tapers, AND transitions. If the U-V is
'slaved' to the X-Y, and, for example, you ask the top axes (X-Y) to cut a
1/8" radius while the bottom (U-V) axes are cutting a 1/4" radius, then
you're cutting a taper. You'd have the Xn.n, Yn.n, In.n, Jn.n, as well as
the Un.n, Vn.n, Kn.n Ln.n code in the same line. You should also be able to
even do transitions, i.e. circle on the top, and square on the bottom.
Your cutout part would reflect the rays generated by the wire. By slaving
U-V to X-Y, you'd have the necessary co-ordinated movement. Besides the
technicalities, am I missing something? You'd, of course, need to calculate
the exact toolpath(s) required for the part suspended somewhere between the
top and bottom planes.

(Aside:) At a place I'm currently working, we order Punches & Dies from
Wilson Tool Co, in Minnesota, and I'm sure they use EDM to make their dies.
They make a product called a 'Slug-Hugger" (might be TM'd) that surely is
generated via EDM. There are little vertical 'lands' uniformly spaced
around the die opening, and they restrain the slug from sticking to the
bottom of the punch & being pulled part-way back through the stock.
DISASTER strikes when this happens, as either the servo's drop out, or
worse yet, we have a tooling crash, when the die holder is pulled part-way
out of it's housing.

RayHex

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> From: Jon Elson <elson@...>
>
>
>
> Raymond Heckert wrote:
>
> >So, why can't you just have an ordinary X-Y axis pair, 'slaved' to a

X'-Y'

> >set of axes? i.e. make one set sub-ordinate to the other?
> >
> >
> Because you then lose the ability of cutting tapered walls on the
> holes. That is something you can't do without a LOT of trouble
> with milling cutters.
>