Horizontal wire electrical discharge machining

A method for separating a workpiece from a build plate, comprising:

• manufacturing, using a 3D printing process, the workpiece, wherein the workpiece is attached to the build plate;
• placing the workpiece and the build plate into a horizontal wire electrical discharge machining apparatus, the horizontal wire electrical discharge machining apparatus comprising:
• a gantry frame positioned above a worktable to support the workpiece;
• a reciprocating cutting wire spooled to and from a single drum spool through wire guides and an automatic wire tensioner, wherein during operation the reciprocating cutting wire is pulsed with electric current to erode a surface of the workpiece;
• the worktable supporting the build plate and the workpiece, the worktable movable along a single axis when driven by a servo motor;
• a submersion tank containing deionized water to submerge a face of the build plate;
• and
• a series of pulleys, the wire guides and the automatic wire tensioner arranged to position the reciprocating cutting wire parallel to the face of the build plate and below a surface of the deionized water in the submersion tank;
• and
• operating the horizontal wire electrical discharge machining apparatus to separate the workpiece from the build plate.