Process and machine for the electric discharge machining of cutter plates

An electric discharge machining process for finishing cutter plates (60) by means of an electrode wire (50), wherein a respective cutter plate (60) is rotated under program control about a workpiece axis (A) and is adjusted rectilinearly with respect to the electrode wire (50) along at least one of three axes (X, Y, Z) of a rectangular coordinate system, among them one axis (X) which is parallel to the workpiece axis (A), characterized in that, for machining a cutter plate (60) having a cutting edge (66) parts of which extend at varying angles with respect to the workpiece axis (A), the cutter plate (60) is rotated in such manner about the workpiece axis (A) during the machining of a flank (64) adjacent a cutting edge (66) that the point at which the electrode wire (50) intersects the cutting edge (66) always lies on a tool axis (E) which extends at right angles to the electrode wire (50) and to two axes (X, Y) of the coordinate system, and further characterized in that the electrode wire (50) is rotated about the tool axis (E) during the machining of portions of the flank (64) which are located adjacent portions of the cutting edge (66) not in parallel with the workpiece axis (A).