Automatic carbide advance devise

[M. Roberts]

Hello all out there in the EDM world. Sometimes, i get these crazy ideas in my head...does someone OEM or aftermarket, make a device to automatically index the conductive carbide on wire EDM machines? I just indexed mine on my Sodick about 20 hours ago, and was starting to slow down...indexed the carbides, and it is back to normal. if not indexing, how about a unit to slowly move back and forth the length of the carbide? I know...lay off the sauce...
Regards,
Mark

 

[Waakzaamheid]

Almost seems to me like a solution looking for a problem. I get 75 hours out of a carbide index on my Makino, and they have a neat little system so it only takes like 30 seconds to accurately index it.

 

[M. Roberts]

Interesting. In talking with my consumables rep for SST, he mentioned that they make a coated carbide power supply that wears at a much slower rate than the standard units. I asked Sodick if they make such a part, and they said no. I wonder if it is all BS...

 

[Waakzaamheid]

Interesting. In talking with my consumables rep for SST, he mentioned that they make a coated carbide power supply that wears at a much slower rate than the standard units. I asked Sodick if they make such a part, and they said no. I wonder if it is all BS...

Well SST is Makino, not Sodick, so they could be making their own aftermarket ones. However I've never heard of coated power feeders being a thing. Are you really only getting 20 hours per index on the Sodick? That sounds pretty low. Where are you getting your power feed contacts currently?

 

[M. Roberts]

Most supplies I purchase from Sodick. Yes, by the time I hit the 20hr mark, the cutting speed has greatly reduced. The more I think about it, the coated carbides doesn't make sense...one would think that it would just burn away...

 

[Waakzaamheid]

Most supplies I purchase from Sodick. Yes, by the time I hit the 20hr mark, the cutting speed has greatly reduced. The more I think about it, the coated carbides doesn't make sense...one would think that it would just burn away...

I agree, I'm not really sure why they are telling you that. I feel like you should be getting more than 20 hours. Even on my old Fanucs I used to run with tiny little energizers I feel like I would get at least 50 hours.

Have you tried buying them from some place like SST to see if it makes a difference?

 

[M. Roberts]

Wdevine, Actually it was the SST/Makino rep that mentioned the coated/high performance carbides. I can't say who i purchased the current set from, but i have in the past purchased them from SST.