Wire-cut electrical discharge machine having wire electrode cutting device
AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsTasuku Kawanabe, Tetsuya Aoki
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cutting mechanism for use in an electrical discharge cutting machine that has a frame mounting a wire electrode cutter, a pair of rollers to feeder the wire electrode and a sensor for detecting the presence of the wire electrode. The frame can be moved from side-to-side so that it may be positioned to feed the wire electrode to a machining zone or to a disposal box when a portion of the wire electrode is to be cut off following a breakage of the wire electrode.
Claims18
A wire-cut electrical discharge machine for cutting a workpiece by the occurrence of an electrical discharge in a machining zone between a wire electrode and the workpiece, comprising:
- a pulley around which said wire electrode is guided;
- brake means for selectively applying a one of a braking power during electrical discharge machining and a larger braking power during cutting to said pulley;
- feeding means disposed between said pulley and the workpiece for applying a feeding power to the wire electrode in a direction toward the workpiece;
- cutting means for cutting off the wire electrode between said pulley and said feeding means;
- a disposal box for receiving cut-off wire electrode, said disposal box positioned between said feeding means and the workpiece located in the machining zone;
- and
- control means for controlling said brake means, feeding means and cutting means such that said cutting means cuts off the wire electrode after the brake means applies the braking power during cutting to said pulley and said feeding means applies a feeding power in said direction to the wire electrode to thereby apply the tension to the wire electrode between said pulley and said feeding means, said control means further controlling said feeding means such that said feeding means continuously applies the feeding power in said direction to the wire electrode after the wire electrode is cut by said cutting means to thereby dispose of the cut-off wire electrode in said disposal box.
A method for cutting a wire electrode of an electrical discharge cutting machine, comprising the steps of:
- determining a breakage in the wire electrode;
- rewinding the wire electrode toward a supply spool;
- detecting when a broken end of the wire electrode has passed a predetermined point;
- stopping rewinding of the wire electrode;
- aligning a feed path of the wire electrode with a disposal portion;
- engaging a lead end of the wire electrode by a feeding means;
- providing a feeding power to feed the wire electrode in a feeding direction;
- applying a brake to halt the feeding of the wire electrode after a predetermined time while the feeding power is continuously supplied for the feeding of the wire electrode in the feeding direction;
- positioning a cutting element;
- cutting off a damaged portion of the wire electrode;
- and
- recommencing feeding of the damaged portion of the wire electrode in the feeding direction.
A device for cutting a wire electrode of an electrical discharge cutting machine, comprising:
- means for determining a breakage in the wire electrode;
- means for rewinding the wire electrode toward a supply spool;
- means for detecting when a broken end of the wire electrode has passed a predetermined point;
- means for stopping rewinding of the wire electrode;
- means for positioning a feed path of the wire electrode to be aligned with a disposal portion;
- means for engaging a lead end of the wire electrode by a feeding means;
- means for providing a power to feed the wire electrode in a feeding direction;
- means for applying a brake to halt the feeding of the wire electrode after a predetermined time while the feeding power is continuously supplied for the feeding of the wire electrode in the feeding direction;
- means for positioning a cutting element;
- means for cutting off a damaged portion of the wire electrode;
- and
- means for recommencing feeding of the damaged portion of the wire electrode in the feeding direction.
An apparatus mounted on a main frame of an electrical discharge cutting machine, for cutting a wire electrode of the machine, comprising:
- a frame movably mounted to the main frame;
- means for moving said frame;
- cutting means for cutting the wire electrode;
- first feeding means for feeding the wire electrode mounted on said frame downstream of said cutting means in a direction of feed of the wire electrode;
- a sensor mounted on said frame downstream of said first feeding means;
- a wire guide mounted on said frame downstream of said sensor;
- a processing passage downstream of said wire guide;
- and
- a disposal box downstream of said wire guide, wherein said moving means moves said frame to position said wire guide over a one of said processing passage and said disposal box based upon whether the wire electrode is being fed to a machining zone or being cut after being broken respectively.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.