Page 83 - Summer 2024 EDM Today

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Automation becomes a no-brainer if you run thousands of
parts per year that are all very similar.

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Figure 4
[Editor’s note: If your EDM is used to produce aerospace
parts and is subject to OEM standards, you should check
the standard. You may find that when moving the machine

Automated Roller Processing
to another part of the shop may require you to have the
machine recalibrated. The issue is that the loading of the
electrical bus in a different part of the building may result

defined, vary from part to part, and require a great deal of
in a different voltage due to varying equipment energy On the other extreme are processes that are not well
human dexterity to accomplish. Automation has many
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demands on the bus. This could cause more or less
advantages, but it becomes challenging to automate
energy to be imparted into the cut, which may affect
human dexterity, especially with a great deal of part-to-part
surface characteristics and, in severe cases, part size.
variation. Small quantities of parts can be more labor-
Please check the OEM standards to which the part
intensive to set up with automation than the time it would
being run is controlled.]
take an operator to simply run them manually. if you are
only running a few parts the ROI may not be favorable.
Contact Larry McNamee at EDM Network for more
information.
Larry McNamee
EDM Network, Inc.
http://www.edmnetwork.com
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630-466-5588

Motion Simple / EDM Zap
Automatic Loading and Filling Application

So, what drives us to want to automate in the first place,
Q: I have an older EDM CNC Machine that cuts great,
but we want to add more lights-out production and

would require automation to support unattended
things: either a need to increase production volume or
reduce production labor costs. If you were making
operation. Is it possible and practical to add automation
to an older machine? why even do it at all? Often, the first driver is one of two
100 pcs/year with one part-time operator and suddenly
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you must produce 10,000 pcs/year with a lower unit
A: Yes, it is! Automation is everywhere, and now even
cost, automation can help you with that. It can also
more so with the EDM process. What advantages and
allow you to run multiple shifts, sometimes even lights-
disadvantages are there with automation? When is it
out. Even if you only get a couple of hours in before the

justified and when is it not the right fit for your process?
process stops, it’s a couple of hours of free labor.
Let’s review a few examples and explore if your process
Quality control is often another driver. Automation can
would benefit from automation.

provide a reliable, repeatable process, and if there were
The first step is often to identify if your process can

key items that you wanted to measure in the process
be automated. On one extreme are processes that are
specified during the quoting process, these items can be

very repetitive, very defined, and run for many pieces.

Few part variations lead to fewer (or at least simpler)
be sure that those errors do not show up in the parts
changeovers. Running many parts per year is also
produced. Quality data can automatically be generated,
helpful as it allows for justifying the Return on checked, potentially on every single part. You can then
recorded, and evaluated in some cases, even letting
Investment (ROI), a measure of how much time is
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decision-makers know when an issue has arisen.
needed to pay back the cost of implementing automation.
(Continued on next page)
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EDM Today, Summer 2024 Issue