What is different from Wire EMD vs. Sinker EMD?

When traditional machining methods reach their limits, manufacturers often turn to electrical discharge machining (EDM). EDM is a popular non-traditional machining process that uses electrical discharges to erode material and produce precise shapes in hard materials. This process requires no mechanical force to remove excess material. EDM is widely used in tool and die manufacturing, the medical industry, and the automotive sector. There are two primary types of EDM: wire cutting and sinker EDM. This article will discuss sinker EDM and wire cutting EDM, covering their principles, advantages and disadvantages, applications, and differences. I hope it helps you select the appropriate option for your manufacturing or EDM project.

What is Wire Cut Electric Discharge Machining (WEDM)?  

Wire-cut electrical discharge machining (WEDM) uses a thin wire as the electrode. The wire is continuously fed to the workpiece, and a discharge occurs between the wire and the workpiece. This type of EDM is often used for die sinking, engraving and sculpting.

What is Sinker EDM?

Sinker EDM, also known as ram EDM, cavity-type EDM, or volume EDM, is mainly composed of an electrode and a workpiece immersed in an insulating liquid. The insulating liquid is usually oil but sometimes other dielectric fluids. The electrode is often CNC machined from graphite, copper, or tungsten and is pre-machined to have the required form.

Sinker EDM uses spark erosion to create workpieces with great precision. Here, spark erosion means producing cavities in metal workpieces using an electrode tool with an obligatory shape. The electrode is advanced progressively toward the workpiece until it almost touches it. A high-voltage spark develops between the electrode and the workpiece, melting away the material nearest to the electrode. Sinker EDM is perfect for making blind cavities in conductive metals.

Sinker EDM Vs Wire EDM: 

Same Points:

1. Both types of machining are a kind of electrical discharge machining, which is based on the pulse power supply, and the workpiece must be a conductor.

2. Same processing principles, and the metal generated by the heat generated by the electric discharge discharge is melted to remove the metal, so the difficulty of the processing material of the two has nothing to do with the the hardness of the village material, and there is no significant mechanical cutting force in the processing.

Different Points:

1. The main processing object of the EDM forming machine tool is to print delicate patterns or curved surfaces on the surface. The EDM wire-cutting machine tool mainly processes flat workpieces. The movement of wire EDM is to move the workpiece, and EDM is processed by moving the electrode.

2. EDM can process through-holes and blind holes, suitable for processing the cavity of complex-shaped plastic molds and other parts as well as engraving text, patterns, etc.. Wire EDM can only process through holes, which can easily process small holes Holes, narrow slits with complex shapes and various complex parts.