The spark gap is the physical distance the electric current has to jump off the wire to burn the workpiece when wire EDMing. Controlling the spark gap is critical to achieving required part dimensions and surface finishes. Variables that impact the spark gap include the workpiece material and thickness, wire diameter and type, and part tolerance and surface finish requirements.r The wire EDM process is physically unstable because of the constant advancement and retraction of the axes. "Wire EDMing does not have or function with a set feed rate like a milling operation," said Brian Pfluger, EDM product manager for Makino Inc. at the company's Auburn Hills, Mich., facility. Wire EDMing requires a combination of small mechanical and, especially, electrical changes to occur thousands of times per second to be stable and consistent, he added. Makino is headquartered in Mason, Ohio.
Imported from the CTE archive to seed discussion on MFGAxis.
Originally published on CTE: 2013-03-15
CTE source: https://ctemag.com/articles/gap-guidance/
Legacy path: /articles/gap-guidance