Product category:
EDM diesinking
News Release from: NCMT | Subject: Edge range of die-sinking EDMs
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 17 September 2002
Fine hole drilling capability of EDMs
expanded
Further development of EDM equipment has taken small hole drilling to the next level in that pipe electrodes from 3.0mm down to 0.1mm diameter can carry dielectric at 6MPa through the centre.
The Japanese manufacturer, Makino, has taken small hole drilling to the next level following further development of its Edge range of die-sinking electric discharge machining (EDM) equipment Pipe electrodes from 3.0 mm down to 0.1mm diameter carry dielectric at 6MPa through the centre, while smaller holes still can be produced with solid electrodes and external flushing
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 22 May 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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An Edge 2 machine thus configured made its world debut outside Japan in Coventry during June this year at an open house held by NCMT, the UK agent for Makino.
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Take for example the ball grid alley (BGA), a technique for mounting ever higher density printed circuit boards.
In one Makino test, an Intel BGA was drilled with an array of 1,156 holes using ten 0.1mm copper pipe electrodes, 200mm long, which were changed automatically.
Thickness of the cemented carbide workpiece was 1.0mm and cycle time was 40 seconds per hole, giving a total of 12 hours 50 minutes machining.
All 0.12mm diameter holes were within +/-3 microns.
In another application, a 1.0mm solid tungsten electrode was reduced to one hundredth of its diameter, 0.3mm long, using a copper tungsten dressing electrode in 16 minutes.
This 10 micron wide electrode was then used to drill five extremely fine holes in a cemented carbide integrated circuit casing of 0.08mm thick.
Machining time was one minute per 0.015mm diameter hole.
Pitch accuracy was within +/-2 microns and electrode wear was 50 per cent.
Another use for the same technique is machining of ink jet nozzles, in this case using a tungsten electrode of twice the diameter, ie 20 microns.
Three specifications are available for fine hole machining on the EDGE 2 EDM machine model.
The first version, for small numbers of fine holes, is a manual machine without automatic electrode change.
Fully automated running is provided by specifications 2 and 3, which have auto electrode exchange and guide height positioning.
The top model will change solid electrodes down to 0.07mm diameter and has a more sophisticated guide system as well as automatic switching of the flushing pressure.
Fine hole machining macros are provided on all machines. Request a free brochure from NCMT ...
(This was Manufacturingtalk's Top Story on 16 September 2002).
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