Methods and apparatus for making honeycomb extrusion dies
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorW. Neil Peters
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A steel honeycomb extrusion die having an array of feedholes extending into a die inlet face and intersecting with an array of discharge slots on the die discharge face is made by a process wherein the slots are cut into blind feedholes by wire EDM slotting while dielectric fluid is provided in or flushed through the feedholes. The resulting improvements in EDM process stability reduce the number of wire electrodes broken during machining of the array, and in feedhole/slot intersection configuration and finish, provide dies with improved extrusion performance and extended service life.
Claims6
A method for making a honeycomb extrusion die comprising;
- providing a die body having an array of feedholes extending into the body from an inlet face toward a discharge face thereon;
- forming an array of discharge slots on the discharge face by wire electrical discharge machining removal and dielectric fluid flushing of material from the die body, such electrical discharge machining removal and flushing being continued at least until hole-slot intersections between the feedholes and some of the discharge slots are formed;
- and
- while the hole-slot intersections are being formed, providing a dielectric fluid in the feedholes.
Apparatus for the wire electrical discharge machining slotting of a honeycomb extrusion die from a die body incorporating a plurality of blind feedholes in an inlet face of the body which comprises:
- a die holding fixture;
- a traveling wire electrode for machining discharge slots intersecting with the feedholes in the discharge face of the die body;
- means for flushing the discharge face and discharge slots with dielectric flushing fluid;
- and
- means for venting the blind feedholes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.