# US 10,307,846 B2 · Electrical discharge machining system having independent electrodes, related control system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,307,846 B2 - Document ID: US10307846B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/854,484 - Filed: 2015-09-15 - Published: 2017-03-16 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2015-09-15 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Yuefeng Luo; Shamgar Elijah McDowell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10307846B2 ## CPC - B23H 1/028: {for multiple gap machining} - B23H 1/04: Electrodes specially adapted therefor or their manufacture (B23H9/00 takes precedence) - B23H 7/265: {Mounting of one or more thin electrodes} - B23H 9/10: Working turbine blades or nozzles - B23H 9/14: Making holes - B23H 7/30: Moving electrode in the feed direction (B23H7/32 takes precedence) - B23H: WORKING OF METAL BY THE ACTION OF A HIGH CONCENTRATION OF ELECTRIC CURRENT ON A WORKPIECE USING AN ELECTRODE WHICH TAKES THE PLACE OF A TOOL; SUCH WORKING COMBINED WITH OTHER FORMS OF WORKING OF METAL (processes for the electrolytic or electrophoretic production of coatings, electroforming, or apparatus therefor C25D; processes for the electrolytic removal of material from objects C25F; manufacturing printed circuits using precipitation techniques to apply the conductive material to form the desired conductive pattern H05K3/18) ## Abstract An electrical discharge machining (EDM) system, control system and related methods. Various embodiments include a control system for controlling a plurality of electrode devices in an EDM system to form holes in a workpiece. The control system can be configured to perform a process including: initiating a hole formation program for each of the plurality of electrode devices; determining whether at least one electrode has completed formation of a corresponding hole in the workpiece; and separating at least one electrode from the workpiece in response to determining that at least one electrode has completed formation of the corresponding hole. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electrical discharge machining (EDM) system comprising: a guide structure; a machine ram coupled to the guide structure; a back plate coupled to the guide structure; a plurality of electrode devices positioned at least partially within the guide structure, wherein all of the plurality of electrode devices are aligned parallel with respect to one another and uniformly angled with respect to the guide structure to provide a plurality of electrical discharges to a workpiece, each of the plurality of electrode devices including: an electrode for positioning proximate the workpiece; an electrode holder coupled to the electrode for holding the electrode proximate the workpiece; and a driver coupled to the electrode holder, the driver adapted to modify a position of the electrode holder and the electrode, wherein the back plate at least partially supports the driver in each of the plurality of electrode devices; and a control system operably connected with the driver of each electrode holder, the control system configured to perform a process including: initiating a hole formation program for each of the plurality of electrode devices; determining whether at least one electrode has completed formation of a corresponding hole in the workpiece; separating the at least one electrode from the workpiece in response to determining that the at least one electrode has completed formation of the corresponding hole; and continuing to run the hole formation program for each of the plurality of electrode devices in response to determining that each of the electrodes in the plurality of electrode devices has not completed formation of the corresponding hole in the workpiece. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to: determine whether all of the electrodes in the plurality of electrode devices have completed formation of the corresponding hole in the workpiece after separating the at least one electrode from the workpiece; and separate all of the electrodes from the workpiece in response to determining that all of the electrodes have completed formation of the corresponding hole in the workpiece. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the control system is further configured to: continue to run the hole formation program for each of the plurality of electrode devices not separated from the workpiece in response to determining that all of the electrodes in the plurality of electrode devices have not completed formation of the corresponding hole in the workpiece. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the guide structure is coupled to the electrode holder, the guide structure including a slide bearing allowing the electrode holder to move relative to the guide structure. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the driver in each of the plurality of electrode devices includes at least one of a voice coil or a hydraulic driver. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of electrode devices is connected with an independent power supply such that a loss of power to one of the plurality of electrode devices does not cause a loss of power to a remainder of the plurality of electrode devices. ### Claim 7 A method comprising: positioning an electrical discharge machining (EDM) system proximate a workpiece, the EDM system having: a guide structure; a machine ram coupled to the guide structure; a back plate coupled to the guide structure; a plurality of electrode devices positioned at least partially within the guide structure, wherein all of the plurality of electrode devices are aligned parallel with respect to one another and uniformly angled with respect to the guide structure to provide a plurality of electrical discharges to the workpiece, each of the plurality of electrode devices including: an electrode for positioning proximate the workpiece; an electrode holder coupled to the electrode for holding the electrode proximate the workpiece; an independent power supply; and a driver coupled to the electrode holder, the driver adapted to modify a position of the electrode holder and the electrode, wherein the back plate at least partially supports the driver in each of the plurality of electrode devices, initiating a hole formation program for each of the plurality of electrode devices; determining whether at least one electrode has completed formation of a corresponding hole in the workpiece; separating the at least one electrode from the workpiece in response to determining that the at least one electrode has completed formation of the corresponding hole; and continuing to run the hole formation program for each of the plurality of electrode devices in response to determining that each of the electrodes in the plurality of electrode devices has not completed formation of the corresponding hole in the workpiece. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: determining whether all of the electrodes in the plurality of electrode devices have completed formation of the corresponding hole in the workpiece after separating the at least one electrode from the workpiece; and separating all of the electrodes from the workpiece in response to determining that all of the electrodes have completed formation of the corresponding hole in the workpiece. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: continuing to run the hole formation program for each of the plurality of electrode devices not separated from the workpiece in response to determining that all of the electrodes in the plurality of electrode devices have not completed formation of the corresponding hole in the workpiece. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: removing the workpiece and positioning a second workpiece proximate the EDM system after separating all of the electrodes from the workpiece. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of electrode devices is connected with an independent power supply such that a loss of power to one of the plurality of electrode devices does not cause a loss of power to a remainder of the plurality of electrode devices. ### Claim 12 A system comprising: a control system for controlling operation of an electrical discharge machining (EDM) system proximate a workpiece, the EDM system having: a guide structure; a machine ram coupled to the guide structure; a back plate coupled to the guide structure; a plurality of electrode devices positioned at least partially within the guide structure, wherein all of the plurality of electrode devices are aligned parallel with respect to one another and uniformly angled with respect to the guide structure to provide a plurality of electrical discharges to the workpiece, each of the plurality of electrode devices including: an electrode for positioning proximate the workpiece; an electrode holder coupled to the electrode for holding the electrode proximate the workpiece; an independent power supply; and a driver coupled to the electrode holder, the driver adapted to modify a position of the electrode holder and the electrode, wherein the back plate at least partially supports the driver in each of the plurality of electrode devices, the control system configured to perform processes including: initiating a hole formation program for each of the plurality of electrode devices; determining whether at least one electrode has completed formation of a corresponding hole in the workpiece; separating the at least one electrode from the workpiece in response to determining that the at least one electrode has completed formation of the corresponding hole; and continuing to run the hole formation program for each of the plurality of electrode devices in response to determining that each of the electrodes in the plurality of electrode devices has not completed formation of the corresponding hole in the workpiece. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the control system is further configured to: determine whether all of the electrodes in the plurality of electrode devices have completed formation of the corresponding hole in the workpiece after separating the at least one electrode from the workpiece; and separate all of the electrodes from the workpiece in response to determining that all of the electrodes have completed formation of the corresponding hole in the workpiece. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the control system is further configured to: continue to run the hole formation program for each of the plurality of electrode devices not separated from the workpiece in response to determining that all of the electrodes in the plurality of electrode devices have not completed formation of the corresponding hole in the workpiece.