Primer

The area of high precision machining is a specialized one. Not only is the degree of precision and accuracy very important, you also need to ensure that all equipment is of the highest quality. If you work in an industry that requires high precision machining, you are probably aware of the fact that your productivity can be seriously affected if you choose to use low quality machinery. The quality of the finished product can also be affected. Sure enough, this is something that very few wish for.

In order to understand what high precision machining actually means, let’s take a look at an actual piece of equipment. The example that will be used here is that of an China EDM Hole Popper.

EDM stands for Electrical Discharge China Machining. The fundamental concept behind China EDM is that you use an electrode to erode a work piece using electrical sparks. The electricity flows through the electrode in the form of a square wave attacking the points of least resistance on the work piece. This is similar to how a bolt of lightning would hit a tree before it hits the ground.

This ‘Zap’ takes place every time the current is switched on in the square wave and then the current is switched off to allow the debris to be flushed away. It takes place many times in a second as the electrode is slowly advanced deeper and deeper into the cut. The process takes place submerged in a dielectric fluid such as de-ionized water or dielectric oil.

The China EDM Hole Popper (or what is also known as the small hole China EDM drill) uses an electrode made of a brass or copper tube ranging from .004 to .250 inches in diameter that is used to blast holes through the work piece. The China EDM Hole Popper has a very aggressive power supply to blast through the work piece very quickly. This type of China EDM compliments the wire China EDM by providing the ability to drill pilot holes through heat-treated materials and carbide so that you can thread the wire through this pilot hole for a place to start your wire cut.