Aluminum alloy jet engine part being machined on a 6-axis River 1000 with a rotary tilt tabled using River's 5-axis simultaneous interpolation EDM milling function and TCP for reliable operation and full networking capabilities.
Absolute Machine Tools has introduced the River series EDM hole drilling machines from Ocean Technologies.
"EDM drilling machines have evolved far beyond simply punching small start holes for wire EDM cutting," said a company spokesperson. "With today's high demands and tight tolerances, surface preparation for better EDM drilling is more important than ever. That is why machines such as the River series EDM hole drilling machines from Ocean Technologies combine an orbiting head and 5-axis Tool Center Point (TCP) control with a built-in milling function to meet the challenges of complex aerospace component manufacturing.
The three River EDM drill features from Ocean Technologies fulfill these advanced demands in the aerospace industry, the company reported. First, an orbiting head is required, whether on a ram-type or gantry-type design. The River 600, 700, 800 and 1000 model hole drillers all offer an orbiting head that moves side-to-side within a ±45° range. The orbiting head also allows for drilling holes larger than the electrode diameter by swinging the electrode outward slightly during the process, offering additional flexibility.
While the head orbits, River's Tool Center Point (TCP) feature automatically adjusts and compensates for electrode movement over curved and contoured parts, so the tip of the electrode (the tool center point) remains exactly on the programmed path, even as the head tilts and rotates in 5-axis motion. TCP is especially critical for drilling angled holes through complex surfaces without manual offsets, a necessity for aerospace components that require the highest accuracy, such as turbine blades and engine nozzles, where cooling holes must be precisely oriented to aerodynamic surfaces. Having TCP eases the programming burden when drilling thousands of holes at different angles across a single component.
Combining TCP with the River's built-in 5-axis synchronized milling function enables milling directly on complex angled and curved surfaces. Rather than removing the part and transferring it to a CNC milling machine or grinder, the built-in milling feature allows the component to remain in place-avoiding errors commonly caused by re-handling and second operations-without requiring manual adjustment calculations for tilts or rotations. Aerospace parts include blades, vanes, fuel-system components and 3D-formed parts that often require milling operations, such as flats, slots and spot faces.
"Drilling into rough castings is typically unsuccessful without preparation, as an electrode can skate, bend or wander off-point, leading to poor hole location accuracy, electrode breakage and bad hole entry shapes," said the spokesperson. "Milling a spot face or flat prior to drilling provides the perfect starting surface. Milling the flat at the correct angle ensures proper electrode alignment, reduced electrode deflection and better control over the hole's entry angle and overall quality. Spot faces, when milled simultaneously using TCP, are much more accurate and critical for sealing, seating or joining parts in assemblies. They are also important to ensure bolt heads, washers and nuts sit flush with their mating surfaces, reducing friction and ensuring safety."
The built-in 5-axis synchronized milling function reduces part handling and fixturing costs and eliminates the need for investment in specialized CNC milling equipment for secondary operations, which minimizes floor space congestion.
"When combining the orbiting head, TCP feature and built-in milling function on Ocean Technologies' River series small hole EDM drilling machines, the results dramatically improve hole quality, shorten production cycles, reduce part handling, lower costs and enable precision machining on complex surfaces. These capabilities provide critical component-making advantages demanded by today's aerospace industry," said the spokesperson.
For more information contact:
Mark Cicchetti, EDM Technical Director
Absolute Machine Tools, Inc.
7420 Industrial Parkway
Lorain, OH 44053
616-916-2775
mcicchetti@absolutemachine.com