The present invention relates to the field of electrolytic machining, and more particularly, to an electrical discharge machining equipment with equal-energy density and method that maintains equal energy density processing and automatically adjusts the feed rate.
In recent years, with the advancement of semiconductor, electronic and mechanical technologies, products have been developing in the direction of miniaturization and refinement. In the aerospace, automotive, medical and electronic fields, the miniature products are usually manufactured by high precision molds. Usually, most of the materials used for high precision molds are chosen for their high hardness and strength, such as SKD-11. Due to the high mechanical strength and complex design structure of the high precision molds, the high precision molds are usually processed by CNC wire-cutting electrical discharge machines.
In the common machining process, the workpieces or molds are usually firstly rough cut to remove a large amount of unnecessary materials, and then the workpieces are trimmed to the target design structure by finish machining. However, in the existing technology, the finish machining mainly relies on experienced technicians to manually adjust the processing parameters by fine-tuning the process several times, which not only increases the labor cost and processing time cost but also reduces the processing efficiency. Moreover, the discharge energy and the feed rate of the electrode are still selected manually, which can lead to different processing degree of the electrode, so as to reduce the processing stability and the processing quality.
Therefore, it is necessary to develop a new type of discharge processing equipment to solve the problems of the prior art.
In view of this, one scope of the present invention is to provide an electrical discharge machining equipment with equal-energy density. In the present embodiment, the electrical discharge machining equipment with equal-energy density comprises an electrode, a processing parameter database, a signal capturing device and a controller. The electrode is configured to process a workpiece. The processing parameter database is configured to store an equal-energy density sheet. The equal-energy density sheet comprises a plurality of processing parameter sets. Each of the processing parameter sets is corresponding to a material removed volume and comprises a discharge energy, a discharge parameter, a feed rate and an energy density. The energy density is generated according to a calculation of the discharge energy and the material removed volume, and the processing parameter sets having the same energy density. The signal capturing device is configured to detect and capture a first discharge parameter of the electrode during machining the workpiece. The controller is connected to the electrode, the processing parameter database and the signal capturing device. The controller is configured to select a first feed rate of a first processing parameter set to control the electrode for processing the workpiece according to the first discharge parameter and the equal-energy density sheet. When the signal capturing device detects that the first discharge parameter changes to a second discharge parameter, the controller calculates a material volume of the workpiece according to the second discharge parameter and the equal-energy density sheet, and selects a second feed rate from a second processing parameter set according to the material volume, the material removed volume and the equal-energy density sheet and controls the electrode to process the workpiece according to the second feed rate.
Wherein, the electrical discharge machining equipment with equal-energy density further comprises an analysis unit connected to the processing parameter database, and the processing parameter database is configured to store a plurality of historical processing parameters. The analysis unit is configured to analyze the plurality of historical processing parameters to generate the equal-energy density sheet with a regression analysis.
Wherein, the historical processing parameters comprise at least one of a normal discharge frequency, an arc discharge frequency, a short-circuit discharge frequency, a processing time, a processing coordinate, a processing voltage, a processing current, a processing volume and an electrode feed rate.
Wherein, the first discharge parameter is corresponding to a first discharge energy and the second discharge parameter is corresponding to a second discharge energy, and the controller calculates the material volume according to the first discharge energy, the second discharge energy, the material removed volume corresponding to the first discharge energy and the energy density.
Another scope of the present invention is to provide an electrical discharge machining method with equal-energy density. In the present embodiment, the electrical discharge machining method with equal-energy density comprises the following steps of: an electrode processing a workpiece with a first discharge energy, a first discharge parameter and a first feed rate of a first processing parameter set; a signal capturing device detecting that the first discharge parameter changes to a second discharge parameter; a controller calculating a material volume of the workpiece according to the second discharge parameter and an equal-energy density sheet; and the controller selecting a second feed rate from a second processing parameter set according to the material volume, the material removed volume and the equal-energy density sheet and controlling the electrode to process the workpiece according to the second feed rate. Wherein, the equal-energy density sheet comprises a plurality of processing parameter sets. Each of the processing parameter sets is corresponding to a material removed volume and comprises a discharge energy, a discharge parameter, a feed rate and an energy density. The energy density is generated according to a calculation of the discharge energy and the material removed volume, and the processing parameter sets have the same energy density.
Wherein, the electrical discharge machining method with equal-energy density further comprises the following steps of: an analysis unit analyzing a plurality of historical processing parameters to generate the equal-energy density sheet with a regression analysis.
Wherein, the first discharge parameter is corresponding to a first discharge energy and the second discharge parameter is corresponding to a second discharge energy. And, the step of the controller calculating the material volume of the workpiece according to the second discharge parameter and the equal-energy density sheet further comprises the following steps of: the controller calculating the material volume according to the first discharge energy, the second discharge energy, the material removed volume corresponding to the first discharge energy and the energy density.
Wherein, the electrical discharge machining method with equal-energy density further comprises the following steps of: the electrode roughly cutting the workpiece.
In summary, the electrical discharge machining equipment with equal-energy density of the present invention can detect the processing parameters of the electrodes through the signal capturing device and the equal-energy density sheet and adjust the feed rate automatically, so as to achieve the “cut one and repair one”. Moreover, it is possible to eliminate the need for labor and experience to make multiple finishing adjustments, so as to reduce the processing cost and improve the processing efficiency. In addition, the electrical discharge machining equipment with equal-energy density of the present invention can maintain the electrodes at an equal-energy density through the equal-energy density sheet, so as to improve the stability and processing quality.
For the sake of the advantages, spirits and features of the present invention can be understood more easily and clearly, the detailed descriptions and discussions will be made later by way of the embodiments and with reference of the diagrams. It is worth noting that these embodiments are merely representative embodiments of the present invention, wherein the specific methods, devices, conditions, materials and the like are not limited to the embodiments of the present invention or corresponding embodiments. Moreover, the devices in the figures are only used to express their corresponding positions and are not drawing according to their actual proportion.
In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms “an embodiment”, “another embodiment” or “part of an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, material or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment including in at least one embodiment of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Furthermore, the indefinite articles “a” and “an” preceding a device or element of the present invention are not limiting on the quantitative requirement (the number of occurrences) of the device or element. Thus, “a” should be read to include one or at least one, and a device or element in the singular also includes the plural unless the number clearly refers to the singular.
The electrical discharge machining equipment with equal-energy density of the present invention can be applied in the precision or finishing stage, not only in the second finishing process after the first rough cutting of the workpiece, but also in the precision process with high accuracy.
Please refer to
In this embodiment, the electrode 11 is configured to process a workpiece 5. In practice, the electrode 11 and the workpiece 5 can be connected to the power sources of different polarities and the electrodes 11 can be moved on the surface of the workpiece 5. A discharge gap is between the electrode 11 and the workpiece 5. When the electrode 11 is moved toward the workpiece 5 and moved to the discharge gap, the electrode 11 is discharged to create a spark between the electrode 11 and the workpiece 5. At the same time, the high temperatures generated by the spark will melt the workpiece 5, so as to achieve discharge processing. Furthermore, the electrode 11 can be wire electrodes and can be moved continuously (e.g., with a wire feeder and wire winder) to process the workpiece 5. The material of the electrode 11 can be brass, but is not limited the aforementioned. In practice, as shown in
In this embodiment, the processing parameter database 12 is configured to store an equal-energy density sheet. The equal-energy density sheet comprises a plurality of processing parameter sets. Each of the processing parameter sets are corresponding to a material removed volume and comprises a discharge energy, a discharge parameter, a feed rate and an energy density. In practice, the discharge energy (E) is the energy generated during the processing of the electrode 11 and is the product of an operating voltage (Ve), an average processing current (IA), the discharge time (τon), and the discharge frequency (f), as shown in formula (1). The discharge parameter can be the discharge frequency (f) in the discharge energy (E), and can be a normal discharge frequency (Norm), an arc discharge frequency (Arc) or a short circuit discharge frequency (Shrt). The material removed volume is a rough-cut residue volume (Vol) that can be removed by the electrode 11 at a feed rate (F) and a machining time (S) as shown in formulas (2), (3) and (4). Wherein, L is the machining length and H is the width of the workpiece. The energy density (Ed) is the amount of discharge energy required to process a unit of the material removed volume, as shown in formula (5).
In this embodiment, all processing parameter sets of the equal-energy density sheet have the same energy density, i.e., all processing parameter sets are equal energy density. That is, when the electrode 11 removes a plurality of identical rough-cut residue volumes, the electrode 11 all applies the same discharge energy for processing, as shown in formula (6). Furthermore, when the electrode 11 removes a plurality of different rough-cut residue volumes, the electrode 11 applies a corresponding amount of discharging energy for processing under the condition of equal energy density, as shown in formula (7). In practice, the energy density can be generated according to the material properties of the electrode and the workpiece as well as a plurality of actual processing data, as explained in detail below.
As shown in
Furthermore, in this embodiment, the analysis unit 15 is configured to analyze the plurality of historical processing parameters to generate the equal-energy density sheet with a regression analysis. In practice, the analysis unit 15 can analyze all historical processing parameter sets by linear regression, multiple regression, logistic regression, nonlinear regression, log-linear regression, lasso regression, or ridge regression to find out the energy density of the electrodes 11 for processing the workpiece 5, and to find out the optimal processing parameter sets of the electrodes 11 for processing different material removed volumes under the same energy density, so as to build up the equal-energy density sheet.
In this embodiment, the signal capturing device 13 is configured to detect and capture the processing parameters of the electrode 11 during machining the workpiece 5. In practice, the signal capturing device 13 is electrically connected to the electrode 11. When the electrode 11 is machining, the signal capturing device 13 detects a discharge wave train of the discharge energy of the electrode 11 during machining, and captures a real-time processing parameters such as the aforementioned discharge frequency, normal discharge frequency, arc discharge frequency, short circuit discharge frequency, processing time, processing coordinate, processing voltage, processing current, electrode feed rate from the discharge wave train. Furthermore, the signal capturing device 13 can be connected to the processing parameter database 12. After the signal capturing device 13 captures the processing parameters of the electrode 11 during processing, the signal capturing device 13 can store the processing parameters in the processing parameter database 12.
In addition, the signal capturing device 13 can also capture the aforementioned historical processing parameter sets and the historical processing parameters, and store the data in the processing parameter database 12 for analysis by the analysis unit 15. In practice, the workpiece 5 can first be programmed with a known rough-cut residue, i.e. a known rough-cut residue volume is set. Next, the electrode 11 processes the workpiece 5 to remove the rough-cut residue volume, and the signal capturing device 13 instantly detects and captures the processing parameters of the electrode 11 processing as historical processing parameters. Finally, the analysis unit 15 analyzes the historical processing parameters to build up the equal-energy density sheet.
In this embodiment, the controller 14 is configured to control the processing of the electrodes 11 according to the equal-energy density sheet. In practice, the controller 14 can be a computer numerical control (CNC) controller and can select a processing parameter set from the equal-energy density sheet. The controller 14 can apply energy to the electrodes 11 according to the discharge energy and discharge parameters in the processing parameter set, and control the electrodes 11 to move according to the feed rate in the processing parameter set to machine the workpiece. In an embodiment, the controller can also be a signal controller and be connected the processing parameter database and a CNC controller. The controller can send each of the processing parameters in the processing parameter sets to the CNC controller, and then the CNC controller controls the electrode according to the processing parameters. The controller can also be integrated with the aforementioned analysis unit in the same chip.
Please refer to
As shown in
As shown in
Therefore, the electrical discharge machining equipment with equal-energy density of the present invention can detect the processing parameters of the electrode through the signal capturing device and the equal-energy density sheet in real time and adjust the feed rate automatically without manual adjustment, so as to reduce the processing cost and improve the processing efficiency. In addition, the electrical discharge machining equipment with equal-energy density of the present invention can maintain the electrode at equal energy density through the equal-energy density sheet for finishing, so as to improve stability and processing quality.
The controller selects the first processing parameter set in a manner that can be other than the aforementioned patterns. In an embodiment, the controller can firstly and randomly select a processing parameter set from an equal-energy density sheet as the initial processing parameter to control the electrode, and the signal capturing device simultaneously detects the discharge frequency of the discharge energy of the processing parameter set. When the signal capturing device detects a change in the discharge frequency, the controller calculates a material volume of the current rough-cut residue according to the energy density, the processing parameter set and the changed discharge frequency. Finally, the controller selects the corresponding processing parameter set from the equal-energy density sheet according to the current material volume and controls the electrode, so the electrode can be processed with the equal-energy density and at the correct feed rate.
Please refer to
Please refer to
In practice, the rough cutting process of step S102 can be performed before the finishing process of step S1. The step S102 of establishing an equal-energy density sheet can be performed before the step of discharge machining. In addition, in step S20, when the determination result is no, it means that the discharge energy of the electrode 11 is maintained as the first discharge parameter. That is, the rough-cut residue of the workpiece remains unchanged, and the electrode 11 is still processed with the processing parameters of the first processing parameter set.
In summary, the electrical discharge machining equipment with equal-energy density of the present invention can detect the processing parameters of the electrodes through the signal capturing device and the equal-energy density sheet and adjust the feed rate automatically, so as to achieve the “cut one and repair one”. Moreover, it is possible to eliminate the need for labor and experience to make multiple finishing adjustments, so as to reduce the processing cost and improve the processing efficiency. In addition, the electrical discharge machining equipment with equal-energy density of the present invention can maintain the electrodes at an equal-energy density through the equal-energy density sheet, so as to improve the stability and processing quality.
With the examples and explanations mentioned above, the features and spirits of the invention are hopefully well described. More importantly, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described herein. Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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112148828 | Dec 2023 | TW | national |