Re: EDM retrofit

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "WGB" <witekgb@...> wrote:

>
> Does anyone have any info or do you know of any links that will help
> me with this problem. I am thinking of buying an older wire edm
> machine and replacing the old CNC control with a Linux EMC
> controller. Has anyone done this? What are the issues with EDM. I
> really do not know much about wire edm but I would like to get one for
> my home machine shop, however I would prefer to use a commerical unit/
> with mods rather then build from scratch. Any help would be great.
>

It is far from straight forward as the feedrate needs to be altered
with varying gap conditions, even reversed when needed. You would
have to work out how to drive the generator, what feedback is used
(voltage, current or ignition time) and then probably rewrite much of
EMC to make it happen.

You can buy replacement controls for wire EDM machines but these will
cost much more than the machine itself.

At the moment there is no DIY route to proper wire EDM though a few
people are working on it including myself (though it is well on the
back burner).

Graham