The present invention in general relates to an improvement in the surface discharge processing method and apparatus, and a surface discharge processing electrode. More specifically, this invention relates to a technology for generating an electric discharge between an electrode and a workpiece, and forming a surface reforming layer on the surface of the workpiece by the discharge energy.
As a prior art for forming a surface reforming layer on a workpiece by discharge in liquid and providing with corrosion resistance and wear resistance, for example, a surface discharge processing method is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 5-148615. This is a two-step surface discharge processing method of metal material. A primary processing (deposit processing) is performed by using a compacted powder electrode formed by compressing WC powder and Co powder. A secondary processing (re-fusing process) is performed by replacing the electrode with an electrode relatively small in electrode consumption such as copper electrode. In this prior art, a surface reforming layer of high hardness and high adhesion can be formed on a steel material.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 9-192937 discloses a surface discharge processing method of forming a rigid surface reforming layer without re-fusing process on the surface of iron, steel, or cemented carbide. This method makes use of a compacted powder electrode formed by compressing TiH2 powder.
When such surface discharge processing technology is applied, for example, to the mold, the mold life can be extended notably owing to improvement in corrosion resistance and wear resistance.
When such a surface discharge processing is performed on the workpiece by using a molded electrode, as shown in
In addition, multiple electrodes suited to the processing shapes must be prepared.
To solve these problems, it may be considered to use the surface reforming material or a raw material for the surface reforming material as the wire electrode itself, and process the discharge surface of the workpiece by using this wire electrode. However, for example, when Ti or W is used as wire electrode, it is not practical because the surface discharge processing speed is too slow. Furthermore, if the wire electrode is formed by using compacted powder, the tensile strength of the wire electrode is not guaranteed, and it is completely impracticable.
The invention is intended to solve the conventional problems, and it is hence an object thereof to attain surface discharge processing method and apparatus and surface discharge processing electrode, suited to partial surface reforming of mold or the like, capable of forming a uniform surface reforming layer on the workpiece, not required to prepare multiple electrodes according to the processing shapes, and capable of keeping a practical surface discharge processing speed.
In a surface discharge processing method according to a first aspect of the invention, the surface discharge processing electrode is a wire electrode composed of a core wire made of ductile material, and a surface discharge processing material made of a surface reforming material adhered to this core wire or a raw material for the surface reforming material.
A surface discharge processing method according to a second aspect of the invention relates to the surface discharge processing method of the first aspect of the invention, in which a recess is formed in the core wire, and the surface discharge processing material is adhered to this recess.
A surface discharge processing method according to a third aspect of the invention relates to the surface discharge processing method of the second aspect of the invention, in which the recess formed in the core wire is spiral in shape.
A surface discharge processing method according to a fourth aspect of the invention relates to the surface discharge processing method of the first aspect of the invention, in which the processing program for performing the surface discharge processing is the processing program for wire discharge processing employed in a preparatory step of surface discharge processing.
In a surface discharge processing method according to a fifth aspect of the invention, a first wire electrode for removal processing by discharge, and a second wire electrode for surface discharge processing composed of a core wire made of ductile material, and a surface discharge processing material made of a surface reforming material adhered to this core wire or a raw material for the surface reforming material are changed over, and the processing is done by combination of removal processing of the workpiece, and surface discharge processing for reforming the surface of the processed side formed by this removal process.
A surface discharge processing apparatus according to a sixth aspect of the invention comprises a wire electrode used as the surface discharge processing electrode, and a wire electrode feeder for feeding the wire electrode to the workpiece. The wire electrode is composed of a core wire made of ductile material and a surface discharge processing material. The discharge processing material is made of a surface reforming material adhered to the core wire or a raw material for the surface reforming material.
A surface discharge processing apparatus according to a seventh aspect of the invention relates to the surface discharge processing apparatus of the sixth aspect of the invention, in which a recess is formed in the core wire, and the surface discharge processing material is adhered to this recess.
A surface discharge processing apparatus according to an eighth aspect of the invention relates to the surface discharge processing apparatus of the seventh aspect of the invention, in which the recess formed in the core wire is spiral in shape.
A surface discharge processing apparatus according to a ninth aspect of the invention relates to the surface discharge processing apparatus of the sixth aspect of the invention, in which the processing program for performing the surface discharge processing is the processing program for wire discharge processing employed in a preparatory step of surface discharge processing.
A surface discharge processing apparatus according to a tenth aspect of the invention comprises a first wire electrode for removal processing by discharge, a second wire electrode for surface discharge processing composed of a core wire made of ductile material, and a surface discharge processing material made of a surface reforming material adhered to this core wire or a raw material for the surface reforming material, a wire electrode feeder for feeding the first wire electrode and second wire electrode to the workpiece, and a wire electrode changeover unit which changes over the first wire electrode and second wire electrode.
In a surface discharge processing electrode according to an eleventh aspect of the invention, the surface discharge processing electrode is composed of a core wire made of ductile material, and a surface discharge processing material made of a surface reforming material adhered to this core wire or a raw material for the surface reforming material.
A surface discharge processing electrode according to a twelfth aspect of the invention relates to the surface discharge processing electrode of the eleventh aspect of the invention, in which a recess is formed in the core wire, and the surface discharge processing material is adhered to this recess.
A surface discharge processing electrode according to a thirteenth aspect of the invention relates to the surface discharge processing electrode of the twelfth aspect of the invention, in which the recess formed in the core wire is spiral in shape.
Having such structure as mentioned above, the invention brings about the following effects.
In the first aspect of the invention, the tensile strength of the wire electrode for surface discharge processing necessary for the processing work can be obtained by the strength of the core wire, and the surface reforming layer of a specific characteristic can be formed on the workpiece by the surface discharge processing material adhered to the core wire at a practical surface discharge processing speed. Besides, it is not necessary to prepare multiple electrodes according to processing shapes.
In the second aspect of the invention, in addition to the effects as in the first aspect of the invention, the fixing stability of surface discharge processing material on the core can be enhanced in the wire feeding process.
In the third aspect of the invention, in addition to the effects as in the second aspect of the invention, the surface reforming layer can be formed uniformly and stably on the workpiece.
In the fourth aspect of the invention, in addition to the effects as in the first aspect of the invention, the electrode path program for surface discharge processing can be created easily, and the preparation time for processing can be shortened.
In the fifth aspect of the invention, the tensile strength of the wire electrode for surface discharge processing necessary for the processing work can be obtained by the strength of the core wire, and the surface reforming layer of a specific characteristic can be formed on the workpiece by the surface discharge processing material adhered to the core wire at a practical surface discharge processing speed. Besides, it is not necessary to prepare multiple electrodes according to processing shapes. In addition, since the removal process of the workpiece and the surface discharge processing for reforming the surface of the processed side formed by this removal process can be done in the same preparatory step, the preparation time for workpiece shape processing and surface discharge processing can be shortened substantially.
In the sixth aspect of the invention, the same effects as in the first aspect of the invention are obtained.
In the seventh aspect of the invention, the same effects as in the second aspect of the invention are obtained.
In the eighth aspect of the invention, the same effects as in the third aspect of the invention are obtained.
In the ninth aspect of the invention, the same effects as in the fourth aspect of the invention are obtained.
In the tenth aspect of the invention, the same effects as in the fifth aspect of the invention are obtained.
In the eleventh aspect of the invention, the same effects as in the first aspect of the invention are obtained, in surface discharge processing by using the surface discharge processing electrode of the invention.
In the twelfth aspect of the invention, the same effects as in the second aspect of the invention are obtained, in surface discharge processing by using the surface discharge processing electrode of the invention.
In the thirteenth aspect of the invention, the same effects as in the third aspect of the invention are obtained, in surface discharge processing by using the surface discharge processing electrode of the invention.
First Embodiment:
The wire electrode 2 for surface discharge processing is composed of a core wire 2a and a surface discharge processing material 2b as shown in a sectional view in
By using the wire electrode 2 for surface discharge processing having such composition, the tensile strength of the wire electrode 2 for surface discharge processing necessary for the processing work can be obtained by the strength of the core wire 2a. Furthermore, the surface reforming layer of a specific characteristic can be formed on the workpiece 1 by the surface discharge processing material 2b adhered to the core wire 2a at a practical surface discharge processing speed.
The operation in surface discharge processing of the workpiece 1 is explained below. It is assumed that the workpiece 1 is a press mold. Furthermore, it is assumed that, before the step of surface discharge processing, the workpiece 1 is processed by grinding or wire discharge processing, and the shape as the cutting edge of the press mold has been already formed. In
In this method, a hard surface reforming layer is formed by surface discharge processing on the cutting edge side portion of a blanking mold, and a press blanking test was conducted, and, as a result, as compared with the case not performing surface discharge processing, the shear droop of the pressed work after 400000 shots was less than half, and the mold life was extended.
Not only in such blanking mold, but also in other shapes that can be processed by wire discharge processing (two-dimensional shape, envelope shape), for example, extrusion mold, punch, drill and other cutting edges, the surface discharge processing of the invention can be applied, and same effects are obtained.
Further, as the electrode path program of surface discharge processing, by using the processing program of wire discharge processing employed at a preparatory step of the workpiece 1, the electrode path program for surface discharge processing can be created easily, and the time required for preparation of the process can be shortened.
Second Embodiment:
The processing of the workpiece 1 will be now explained. It is assumed that the workpiece 1 is a press mold. Referring to
Thus, by processing the cutting edge portion of the workpiece 1 by wire discharge processing, and performing surface discharge processing so as to copy the cutting edge shape after processing of the cutting edge side portion 1b, a hard surface reforming layer is formed in the cutting edge side portion 1b, and therefore the mold life can be extended substantially same as in the first embodiment. Further, since the removal process of the workpiece 1 and the surface discharge processing can be done in the same preparatory step, the preparation time for processing can be shortened substantially.
The change over of the wire electrode 16 for wire discharge processing and the wire electrode 2 for surface discharge processing may be performed automatically by the wire electrode changeover unit 18. On the other hand, the change over of the wire discharge processing and surface discharge processing may be performed manually by an operator, or by a running system for wire electrode 16 for wire discharge processing and a running system for wire electrode 2 for surface discharge processing provided independently.
The surface discharge processing method and apparatus and surface discharge processing electrode of the invention are suited to be used in surface discharge processing for forming a surface reforming layer on the surface of a workpiece.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/JP99/02379 | May 1999 | US |
Child | 09763194 | Feb 2001 | US |