28 MMS August 2017 mmsonline.com
RAPID TRAVERSE Machining Technology in Brief
fed in a conventional manner.
The LFV concept also can be applied to drilling
a nd groov ing ope rations. In the lat te r c ase,
the grooving tool oscillates/plunges in and out
normal to the barstock circumference in the
X axis.
A Stitch in Time—A New Core-
Retention Function for Wire EDM
BY M A R K A LB E RT
The video at
short.mmsonline.
com/lfv demon-
strates the oscil-
lating movement
of the cutter in
sync with the
rotation of the
barstock.
Marubeni Citizen - Cincom Inc.,
call 201-818-0100 or visit marucit.com.
O
ne of the long-standing challenges in cutting
a workpiece with a wire EDM is keeping the
core from falling away or slipping out of place as
the electrode wire completes its path to form an
opening in a solid. The core, also called a slug,
is the piece of material freed from the workpiece
by the wire. Of course, in some cases, that piece
is the one that is wanted and the leftover solid is
the unwanted "web." Either way, it is necessary
to stabilize that core to prevent it from falling into
the work tank or lodging itself against the wall of
the opening where the wire cannot pass.
By forming a few small tabs in the slot created by
the electrode wire, the core can be held in place
without interrupting the cutting process. After the job
is completed, the core can be removed safely. In this
sample, one of the tabs is identified with an arrow.