Technology has had an enormous impact on all areas of our life over the last 50 years. Not only have our everyday lives changed as technology has changed, but the way jobs are carried out has also changed. The manufacturing industry is just one example where this change is evident. In this article, we’re going to look at how manufacturing has changed with the development of one specific process, Wire EDM manufacturing.
What is Wire EDM manufacturing?
To put it simply, it’s a form of precision engineering which can create incredibly intricate parts from a computer design. Wire EDM (Electrical Discharge Machining), as the name suggests uses a wire to focus an electric charge on a piece of metal, and because of the electric charge, the metal around the wire breaks down. The wire and the metal being cut are surrounded by a dielectric fluid which is there to wash out the cut metal and keep the cutting zone clean.
Which industries use Wire EDM manufacturing?
Wire EDM manufacturing is typically used to produce parts for other industries. Because it is a CNC machine working form computer designs, the end product is produced to highly accurate measurements and tolerances. Industries which usually require parts produced by Wire EDM manufacturing include the automotive, aerospace, electronics and medical, but there are others.
How has Wire EDM changed manufacturing?
With the development of precision engineering using techniques such as Wire EDM and other CNC machining, manufacturing processes have changed significantly. Before this technology, there were limits to what traditional hand-operated machines could accomplish, not only in the quality of their work but in what they could physically produce. As technology advanced, and particularly with the development of computer design programs, much more intricate parts can be produced. This has moved manufacturing, in some areas, to a much more automated process which requires less physical work and training.
What are the benefits of this change?
There are several key benefits that manufacturing has seen from using processes like Wire EDM. Firstly, as mentioned above, the accuracy of the parts being produced has significantly increased. Because the machine is following a design, it can reproduce this it over and over again to the exact measurement specified. For large order this is incredibly important as every piece will be the same.
Secondly, the speed of production has increased with processes like Wire EMD manufacturing. This allows businesses to complete orders quickly and projects to be finished faster. Before these machines were available, manufacturing could only take place for as long as a skilled worker could operate the machine. This limited time to a standard workday. However, now CNC machines can be left running for 24 hours to produce parts, should the demand be there.
Finally, the safety of workers has increased as they no longer have to be directly involved and close to the machines as the manufacturing process is taking place. With open and exposed moving parts, some traditional manufacturing processes could be extremely dangerous. Now, as processes such as Wire EDM manufacturing is automated and contained, the process is significantly safer.
Overall, with Wire EDM manufacturing and other precision engineering techniques, the manufacturing industry has seen a significant change and been able to take advantage of several significant benefits. Wire EDM specifically, has reduced costs and waste while producing highly accurate parts.