Americanmachinist 2227 12090amwebonlyb00000005697
Americanmachinist 2227 12090amwebonlyb00000005697
Americanmachinist 2227 12090amwebonlyb00000005697
Americanmachinist 2227 12090amwebonlyb00000005697
Americanmachinist 2227 12090amwebonlyb00000005697

Built for Die/Mold Technology Expo

Nov. 7, 2005
Makino Inc. (www.makino.com) has developed a new software program that the company says reduces the number of cuts needed to produce a part on a wire electrical discharge machine (EDM). Makino says its "BellyWIZARD" program eliminates the bowed cut that ...

Makino Inc. (www.makino.com) has developed a new software program that the company says reduces the number of cuts needed to produce a part on a wire electrical discharge machine (EDM). Makino says its "BellyWIZARD" program eliminates the bowed cut that often is seen on a first cut when using wire EDM machines to produce parts that are long or that have long profiles.
The BellyWIZARD technology dramatically reduces the so-called "belly" in wire EDM parts by adjusting the path of the wire as the cut is being made. The company says the adjustment optimizes certain first pass machining parameters while maintaining a highly aggressive machining speed. Makino says the adjustment provides a 40 percent improved Z-axis cut over conventional wire EDM technologies, reduces the need for skim passes, and provides for part straightness of better than 0.0003 inches per side over 8.00 inches of part thickness after the first machining pass.
By making the part within tolerance on the first cut and by eliminating subsequent skim passes to remove belly and geometric error, the company says the software reduces the total time and consumables needed to produce a part.
The software is based on Makino's WireWIZARD control platform, and is compatible with Microsoft Windows CE.
Makino demonstrated the BellyWIZARD software program Oct. 4-6 at its Die/Mold Technologies Center in Auburn Hills, Mich.


Makino Inc. (www.makino.com) has developed new technology for wire electrical discharge machines (EDMs) that the company says can be used to produce molds and dies faster and with greater repeatability.
At presentations Oct. 4-6 at its Die/Mold Technologies Center in Auburn Hills, Mich., the company demonstrated four wire EDMs:
* The UPJ2, an ultra-high-precision horizontal machine that combines C-axis orientation with pallet changing on a platform that uses 0.0008-inch wire through 0.002-inch-diameter start holes.
* The U32j, a high-precision, vertical, wire EDM equipped with automatic threading and skim machining with 0.004-inch wire. The company said the U32j can be used to achieve a high surface finish on carbide work pieces.
* TheU86, a large-capacity, high-precision wire EDM that can be equipped with Makino's new BellyWIZARD technology. Makino demonstrated the U86 can machine with a 20-foot-tall work piece that the company said was being cut to within 0.001-inch total straightness with only two machining passes.
* The SP 64, a large-capacity machine that also was equipped with Makino's BellyWIZARD technology to machine a 7-inch punch to a tolerance of 0.0001 inches total straightness with three machining passes.


Makino Inc. (www.makino.com) has developed a proprietary mixture of conductive powder for use in the dielectric fluids of wire electrical discharge machines (EDMs) that the company says produces a highly polished, uniform, fine finish on parts in less time than standard EDM. Makino's HQSF is made for use in the company's RAM EDMs, an electrical discharge machine that rams or sinks an electrode into the metal part being machined. The fluid mixture is a new technology that Makino says can improve machining speed by as much as 30 percent while improving surface integrity by minimizing the heat-affected zone (HAZ). It can be used on graphite used to make electrodes.