Guide to EDM Machining for the Aerospace Industry
At Creatingway, we often use EDM in machining parts for the aerospace industry. It also serves the electronic and vehicle sectored stands for Electrical Discharge Machining. EDM is a popular machining process we use on aluminum parts. It allows us to achieve complex parts in the rapid production industry. EDM machining is a new high-speed method that is paving the way to new possibilities.
How EDM Machining Serves The Aerospace Industry?
EDM machining works by means of an electrical discharge. You may be wondering how we achieve this. We first separate two conductive parts by a dielectric liquid. We then subject it to high voltage. This allows the current to build up and it can discharge at any time. The discharge causes a small part of the “plus” part to heat up. In the end, it heats up to the point it vaporizes.
We place the blank on the plus end while the electrode is on the null end. By amplifying the discharges, a million times, we achieve EDM machining. There is an array of materials, liquids, and EDM parameters at our disposal. However, the basic principle remains the same. It allows us to modify the blanks into parts for the aerospace industry.
Below Are There Main Machining Processes:
- Sinking EDM
- Wire EDM
- EDM milling
Sinking EDM
It involves using a previously machined electrode that is of needed geometry. We first plunge into the blank, which creates a hole.
Wire EDM
It is a common EDM machining method. We use a stretched metal wire in between two nozzles. We proceed to place it above and under a blank. The wire can move in any direction allowing us to cut out any form on the blank. We only need a starting point.
EDM Milling
EDM milling is a new method that resembles normal milling. It involves a rotating tool that follows a path we program into a CNC EDM machine. It has a cylindrical shape thus lacks any sharp edges. We first connect the cylinder to a high voltage, which then heats up. This causes the metal blank to evaporate along the path of the cylinder.
What We Can Use EDM Machining for the Aerospace Industry?
EDM machining offers amazing tolerance when it comes to heating. This makes it ideal for the aerospace industry. This is since rockets and airplanes are renowned for high temperatures and complexity. Moreover, it offers awesome precision and surface finishing for the aerospace industry. Here are a few aerospace parts we can produce using EDM machining.
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A Compressor Wheel
At Creatingway, we love working on such a project for the aerospace industry. This complex part has thin-walled features. We can produce it from any material using wire EDM or sink EDM.
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Turbine Rotor Disc
This is another commonly asked for a part by the aerospace industry. It has fir shaped holes in which blades enter. Its complex shape makes it ideal for broaching. Broaching is a costly method that is only viable when producing large volumes. Luckily, EDM machining comes in when working on low volumes.
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Stator Parts
Stators are a vital part of gas turbine engines. They entail complex rings that have a specific channel for both fuel and gas. We normally make them from nickel alloys which is hard to mill. Luckily, EDM machining is up to the task of this vital part of the aerospace industry.
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Turbine Blades
We can form them using EDM machining. With one pass of the EDM, we are able to yield a top-notch surface finish. This saves us a lot of time and effort. Sometimes, we are unable to produce the airfoil blade by EDM machining. Luckily, we can produce its root in 90% of the cases.
What’s The Advantage of the EDM Machining Process?
The hardness of a part is irrelevant when working on it through EDM machining. It allows us to work on even the most complex or hardest of alloys. Common examples are titanium and nickel alloys that are key in the aerospace industry. EDM machining processes them with relative ease.
- It offers sublime surface quality and precision. In sinking EDM, the final quality is dependent on the electrode quality. Meanwhile, in the wire the EDM, the final quality depends on the wire’s quality. Both comprise soft conductive material making them easy to produce.
- The material does not suffer thermal changes. EDM machining produces pinpoint heat when discharging. This thus limits heat exertion to a small area. Moreover, we can cool it down quickly using the dielectric liquid. Thus, no heat changes occur on the material’s surface.
- There is no leftover tension. Since the material evaporates, we do not cut off anything. This expels any inner tensions, which are common during normal machining processes. Therefore, it does not buckle during processing.
Contact now for any inquiries or orders regarding the EDM machining of aerospace parts.
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