EDM Possesses Solution to Micro-EDMing Challenges

Micro Manufacturing’s Kip Hanson recently interviewed Mark Raleigh, CEO of EDM Department, in an attempt to understand EDM Department’s strategy behind its successful micro-EDMing. As Hanson explains, one of the major challenges in micro-EDMing is determining what electrode material to use because the process can sometimes be a guessing game. While the solution to this problem continues to evade many, EDM Department appears to have an answer. Raleigh briefly described EDM procedures saying, “We don’t use just one type [of graphite material] on a job, that’s something that many shops overlook. Different materials work better at certain stages of the process.”

Hanson points out that EDM Department understands the importance of an effective strategy when dealing with the hyper-sensitive micro-electrodes. EDM’s strategy entails analyzing several different parameters in the planning of a job; workpiece material, part quality, geometry, tolerance and even time are taken into account. Specifically, Raleigh stressed that timing is crucial because of the difference in electrode cost ratios between macro and micro-EDMing. Although EDM Department appears to have successfully overcome the challenges presented by micro-EDMing, Raleigh admits, “Sometimes it’s a challenge getting things to behave in the micro world.” Nonetheless, EDM Department Inc. appears to be doing the seemingly impossible. To quote Mark Raleigh, “We’re burning things we didn’t think possible before.”

To download the original article in a PDF format click here.
To download the official EDM Department Inc. press release click here.